


Spring

by tarrysmith



Series: Seasons [2]
Category: Tom Hiddleston - Fandom
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Mentions of Rape, Physical Abuse, Romance, Sexual Assault
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-29
Updated: 2014-08-18
Packaged: 2018-03-05 07:34:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 16
Words: 31,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3111392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tarrysmith/pseuds/tarrysmith
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is the sequel to Fall.  Tom’s been cleared, he’s out of jail, and now he just has to win the girl!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Actor!Tom
> 
> Rated: M
> 
> romance/smut

Chapter 1

_Tom called on Caleb one day. As his secretary showed Tom in, she smiled at the charming actor, like most people, a little smitten. Tom took a seat opposite Caleb’s desk. “How’ve you been, Tom?” Caleb asked, “and what can I do for you?”_

_“Oh, not much,” Tom replied. ”I was just wondering how Mary is.”_

_“Oh, she’s doing as well as can be expected…” Caleb began, and then froze, realizing he’d given himself away._

_Tom just stared at him. “And now, you’re going to tell me everything you know.”_

 

“Damn,“ Caleb said, chagrined. “Tom, I promised I wouldn’t say anything!”

“But what about your promise to me, huh?” Tom asked. “You’re my attorney, not hers!”

“Tom, try to see this from my perspective. Mary trusts me…”

“Caleb,” Tom said frustratedly, “I already have a private detective on this, but he can’t find anything! Mary’s disappeared without a trace! I just need a hint of where she’s gone…”

Caleb sighed. “I only have a vague notion myself…“

Tom rose, clutching his hair, pacing agitatedly. ”She left me, in the middle of the night, with nothing but a pathetic letter,” he put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper, dropping it on Caleb’s desk, “on my bedside table. She changed her phone number!”

Caleb sat looking at the letter, then looked up at Tom. “Again, Tom, I’m sorry,” he said quietly.

“Did she share that letter with you?” Tom demanded, nodding at the offending piece of paper. When Caleb shook his head, Tom snapped, “Read it!” Caleb looked at Tom in silence for a moment, before picking up the crumpled paper, smoothing it out, and reading it. When he had finished, he laid it on the desk blotter in front of him.

Tom waited a few moments before saying, “Well?”

Caleb just looked at him. “Well, what?” he finally responded.

Tom sputtered. “Well, it’s preposterous, that’s what!” he barked. “It’s totally ridiculous! She’s wrong all the way around! She’s been gone four months, and I still love her, and I’m miserable without her!”

Caleb finally took a good look at Tom, seeing his red-rimmed eyes, haggard face, and bleak expression. “What of your girl?“ he asked diffidently. ”India, is it?”

Tom burst out laughing, a harsh, bitter sound. “I well remember the dream Mary’s referring to,” he said, a little hysterically. “I dreamed we were planning our wedding!”

“You and India?” Caleb asked, speculatively, one eyebrow raised.

“No!” Tom practically roared. He struggled to get control of himself, then continued. “No, Mary and I.”

“Then, Tom,” Caleb asked, puzzled, “who is India?“

“I was asking her to be our flower girl,” Tom said sadly. ”India is Chris and Elsa Hemsworth’s little daughter.”

“Oh my god!” Caleb said, smacking himself in the forehead with a palm. “All night, Tom. I’ll tell you what I know.”

“Thank god,” Tom said, slumping back in his seat. “My private detective is getting nowhere. He’s been looking for over three months, and I’m a little desperate!”

“Tom, she took a public defender’s job in Wales. That’s all I know.” Caleb looked sympathetically at Tom, scratching his head. “I’m sorry I can’t be of more help.”

“No, this is tremendous,” Tom said gratefully. “I’m sure my man can find her with this information. How many newly appointed female public defenders can there be in Wales?”

“I hope you’re right,” Caleb said, nodding. “I do hope you’re right.”

Tom was right. Armed with that information, it only took his man three days to track down Mary. Tom was elated the day he left the man’s office, copies of the information about Mary’s new situation held tightly in his hand. He figured it would only take him just a few hours to drive there, so he returned to his flat to arrange everything. Tom wasn’t sure how long it would take him to woo Mary and convince her that they belonged together, but he knew she was stubborn — it was one of the things he loved about her — so he figured he he’d better take a room or something, maybe a small flat. He guessed he’d need a place that he could take her. He wondered if he could find a job, and was delighted when he found an advert for a drama teacher at the local high school. A quick call to them had them extending the position to him instantly upon finding out who he was. They even set him up with a two-bedroom flat across the street from the campus. Tom packed his bags and everything he felt he’d need for several months, and prepared to leave in the morning.

At one o’clock, he gave up thinking he was going to sleep, and he picked up the last couple of bags he hadn’t already put in the car, and set off for Connah’s Quay, Wales.

He drove straight to the address they had given him for the apartment, finding a place to park and securing his car. They had overnighted the keys to him, and it only took him three trips to unload all of his belongings. The place was furnished, with dated, but high-quality pieces, and he set about unpacking his clothing and other personal items. He guessed he’d need to do some shopping for some groceries once the stores were opened.

He unboxed the few books he thought he’d need to teach his class, then pulled out the email he’d gotten from the school, trying to get a sense of where the class might be at, and what his first week of lessons might look like. He was taking over in mid-term for a teacher who had had to leave with a serious medical condition, so not only was he having to assess where the class was in their curriculum, but he figured he might actually be fighting some resentment over being the replacement for a possibly beloved, worried-over teacher. He hoped he wasn’t being too arrogant to think that many of the students would probably know who he was, and that his reputation and notoriety could help him find his place with the young people.

But, he didn’t start until next week, so he had the rest of this week, and all of the weekend, to prepare that first few lessons. Today, he wanted to do some shopping, and get to know this little town. And what better way to scope out the town, than with a run? He donned dark sweatpants, a blue tee shirt, a dark hoodie, and his running shoes, made sure he had his wallet and keys, pulled up a good playlist on his iPod, and set off running.

From all he could see, this was a charming town, and he was quite looking forward to making a difference in the lives of his students, while at the same time showing Mary that she’d been wrong about him. He soon reached the town square, and there he slowed down his pace. He wanted to find the court house. His private investigator had been able to provide him with Mary’s address, but he didn’t want to just show up at her home. He thought it would be better to meet with her in a neutral, public place, and what better place than the public courthouse? He didn’t know if she would actually be in court today, but he figured he would go there and try to see if she was arguing a case. And if she was, he planned to join the gallery and watch.

Tom toyed with the idea of acting like he didn’t know her, as if they’d never met, so that they could start all over again, get to know each other as two people on an equal basis. But at the same time, he really didn’t want to lose their history. Mary had confessed in her letter that she loved him, and Tom believed that. His job was simply to convince her that he loved her. After four months, he still wanted her, and he’d done everything he could do to find her! He figured that certainly ought to count for something! Best case scenario, she would see him and fall instantly back in his arms. Worst case, it just might take a little longer! Tom was more than prepared to wait, and he was infinitely sure that Mary was worth fighting for!

Finally, he spotted the courthouse. A glance at his watch convinced him that it was too early for court to be in session, but at least now he knew where he’d be heading. He turned around and headed back to his new home.

Once Tom arrived back at his new apartment, he showered, then stood in front of his wardrobe, wondering what to wear. He was going to court, but he didn’t want to dress overly fancy. He finally settled on dress trousers, a white button-up shirt worn open-necked, with the sleeves rolled up, and a pair of his matte black leather dress shoes (that he noticed, with a little distaste, could use a good polish). He pulled his favorite leather jacket off its hanger in the closet, then set out once again for the courthouse.

It being a fine day, and not a very long distance, he decided to walk. There were more people about now, and he called out greetings to a few who seemed friendly, and responded to the few who called greetings to him. One elderly woman actually engaged him in conversation.

“And who might you be, young man?” she asked him, her brown eyes snapping in a brown, wrinkled face, her accent thick.

“I’m Tom,” he said, smiling brightly, holding out his hand to her. “I’m the new drama teacher up to the high school. And whom is it that it is my great pleasure to meet today, ma’am?”

“I’m Gertrude Gryffudd,” she said sharply. “You have very pretty manners, young Mr. Tom!”

Tom laughed, and said, “Thank you, Ms. Gryffudd. I’m really looking forward to living and working in your charming little town!”

“Well, you can call me Gertie, everyone does!” she said. “I think you’ll find this to be a wonderful town!”

“No doubt, Gertie,” Tom said happily. “No doubt in my mind at all!”

Tom continued on his way to the courthouse, arriving just before the opening court sessions were to start. He walked into the building, looking all around him. It seemed there were five courtrooms, and a reader board in the lobby announced that there were three trials being held that day. Tom decided to check them out in order.

He found it on the first try. As he entered Courtroom 1, the prosecutor was speaking. He took a seat near the back of the gallery, and scanned over the tables at the front. His breath caught when he spied Mary at the defendant’s table. She looked the same, except that she had cut her hair. She looked wonderful, and Tom felt his heart swell with love for her. She was bent over towards her client, listening to something the woman was frantically whispering to her.

Tom was soon caught up in the trial; the defendant, Mary’s client, was accused of stealing from her employer, something she categorically denied. Mary’s defense was masterful, and Tom sat mesmerized, watching her work. He wanted to think of it as a performance, but knew that that would trivialize the importance of what she was doing; her client’s life and freedom might very well be on the line.

In the end, Mary won her case, and her client was found not guilty. As the court officers released her, she tearfully embraced Mary before leaving with her grateful husband. Tom positioned himself in the corridor where he knew she’d have to pass him, and then stood there, waiting, as she received congratulations from her peers, waiting to catch her eye.

Mary subliminally noticed the tall man standing to the side of the corridor as her colleagues were speaking with her about this case. So far, in the four months that she had been doing this job, she had only once failed to get her defendant off, and she was loving the work, and knew it was a valuable job she was doing. She missed Tom every day, and she scoured the papers, watching to see the engagement announcement that for some inexplicable reason, hadn’t happened yet.

As the last person made their congratulations, she looked up, into the eyes of the man who was still standing in the hall. She swayed, her stomach dropping, and she put out a hand and caught her balance against the wall. He watched her for a moment, a sweet, wistful smile on his face, then he slowly approached her, raising a hand towards her before dropping it back to his side.

“Hello, Mary,” Tom said softly.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Actor!Tom
> 
> Rated: M
> 
> romance/smut
> 
> summary: This is the sequel to Fall. Tom’s been cleared, he’s out of jail, and now he just has to win the girl!

Spring

Chapter 2

“Tom, what are you doing here?” Mary asked, her voice faint.

“I live here. I’m the new drama teacher up to the high school,” he said gently. “I start on Monday. I have an apartment across from the school.”

“Why?” Mary stood there, wringing her hands. “Tom…”  


Tom closed the distance between them, taking her gently by the shoulders. He couldn’t stop his hands from caressing her. He looked at her, but she wouldn’t meet his eyes. “I’m here to stay, Mary, as long as it takes. As long as it takes to convince you. I have a home and a job; I’m not leaving. I love you, and I’m going to prove it to you, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

Mary’s eyes snapped up to his. “But Tom,” she said uncertainly, “what about… India?”

Tom tipped his head back, laughing. He pulled Mary into his arms, and she was still so shocked she didn’t resist. Tom kissed her brow softly. “Baby, you heard me dreaming, in the hospital, yeah?”

She nodded mutely. Tom frowned when he saw tears in her eyes, and he brushed them away and kissed her again. “Sweetheart, at my age, here I am, a confirmed bachelor, and what was I dreaming? I was dreaming that you and I were planning our wedding…”

“Oh, Tom…, you weren’t really… Were you?” Mary’s eyes were huge as she looked up at Tom.

Tom’s smile was so sweet, Mary felt her heart catch, and she gasped. She reached up and touched his lips with her fingertips. “I was,” he said simply.

“But then, India …? Tom, who is she? You were asking her to do something for you?“

“For US,” Tom said, smiling. “We’ll need a flower girl. India is Chris and Elsa Hemsworth’s little daughter.”

“Oh, Tom!” Mary said, and burst into tears. Tom pulled her close, kissing her forehead, then resting his chin on top of her head.

“Ah, Mary. I’m here now. Don’t cry.” Tom couldn’t keep from running his lips across her forehead.

“Oh, Tom, what now?” she asked, pulling away enough to look up at him.

“Well, I was hoping you’d have lunch with me,” he said, pulling her close again and nuzzling his nose in her hair.

Mary bit her lip, pulling away and turning her back to him. ”Tom,” she said, almost timidly. ”I’m seeing someone… sorta…”

Tom looked at her with wounded eyes. “Mary, already?” he said, sounding betrayed.

She turned back to face him, biting her lip again. “He’s my next door neighbor,” she said. She thought for a moment. “I guess we aren’t really exclusive, or anything. I can probably do lunch…”

“I wouldn’t want you to compromise yourself,” Tom said coldly. “I only been looking for you for four months.”

“Tom, come to lunch with me!” Mary said pleadingly. “Edwin’s not… well, he’s not my boyfriend or anything.”

“Edwin,” Tom said flatly.

Mary grabbed his hand, pulling him behind her. ”Come to lunch. Do you have a car here?”

“No,” he said quietly. “I walked. My apartment’s close.”

“Good,” she said cheerfully, ”then I’ll drive!”

She took them to a fish place. “The best fish and chips in town,” she assured him. They sat across from each other in a tiny booth. The place was low on atmosphere, but she was right: the food was amazing. She looked at him, catching his eye. “How did you find me, Tom?”

Tom ran a hand through his hair. “I waited for you to come back,” he said. “I called you every hour, every day. But as you know, you never answered. Eventually, instead of voicemail, I got a recorded message saying that your number had been disconnected.”

Mary looked down, then back up into his face. “I got all your messages, Tom. I’m sorry.”

“When you didn’t come back, I hired a private investigator,“ Tom said quietly. “Unfortunately for me, you had covered your tracks really well. He couldn’t find anything. He got nowhere.”

Mary bit her lip. “Will you tell me, then, how did you find me?”

Tom smiled now, and Mary delighted to see it. He pursed his lips. ”I, uh, I maybe tricked Caleb into telling me what he knew…”

Mary clapped a hand over her mouth. “Tom, you didn’t!”

Tom licked his lips. “Um, err, I walked into his office one day and asked how you were. When he said you were as well as could be expected, I knew he was still in touch with you. I figured that might mean that he knew where you were, and I was right.”

Mary shook her head. “He really only knew I was in Wales.”

“And he knew you’d taken a public defender’s job,” Tom said smugly. “There aren’t that many newly appointed lady public defenders in Wales. With that knowledge, it didn’t take my man that long to find you.”

“And did you say you’re going to teach at the high school?” Mary asked, a disbelieving look on her face. “What qualifies you to be a teacher?”

“I’m taking over the drama classes,” Tom said, frowning a little. “The previous teacher had some sort of medical emergency. I’m taking over for the rest of the year; my first priority, after I find out where the students are academically, is the spring musical. Which I have to get on top of right away. I’m perfectly qualified. The school administrator seemed very happy to get me.”

“It sounds fun,” Mary said, laughing. “I’ll have to be sure I come to see the show.”

“I’m counting on it!” Tom said, smiling. There was an awkward silence, then Tom said, “Tell me about… Edwin…?”

Mary signed, and looked away guiltily. “I told you, he’s my next door neighbor. He’s a dentist.“

“A dentist. And?” Tom said flatly.

“I spent the first month just saying hello a couple of times a day, all right?” Mary said. ”The next month, I spent turning down lunch and dinner invitations. Finally, I went out with him, mostly so he’d stop asking. That was a month ago. And now…”

Tom scowled as Mary slowly turned redder and redder. “My god, Mary, are you sleeping with him?” he demanded.

“No… no!” Mary denied. “Not quite, not yet…”

Tom’s lips tightened into a thin line, and she winced at the hurt she saw in his face. “I keep putting him off…” she whispered.

Tom heaved a heavy sigh. “Can l still see you? You know I want to court you. Will you give me a chance?”

Mary nodded. “Yes, Tom, I will. I’m having dinner with him later. I’ll tell him tonight.”

After lunch, Mary dropped Tom off at his apartment, then went back to her office. She had other cases to deal with, but her mind was racing. She never would have imagined that Tom would find her. To be honest, she didn’t really think he’d try. But, it seemed that four months had not changed his feelings. Mary didn’t know what to think. She had been so sure that what he felt was the odd mix of gratitude and desperation that a condemned man felt for his attorney. She‘d fled to give him space to realize that that was all it was. Instead, he’d apparently searched frantically for her, not resting til he found her, and then once he did, going so far as to find a job, get an apartment, and move here in order to have time to win her over. But she was afraid to believe it. Men like him didn’t fall in love with women like her!

But she didn’t even have to think about it: she was still in love with him. The more rational part of her brain insisted that she take it slowly, that she not fall right back into his arms. She would give him a chance — go on dates, get to know each other. But, if Edwin still wanted to, she would keep seeing him as well.

That evening, Mary prepared for her date with Edwin. She wasn’t sure where he was taking her, but he told her it didn’t need to be fancy, so she changed out of her work clothes into jeans and a feminine sweater, sneakers on her feet. Edwin knocked on her door promptly at 6:30, and she opened it, a smile on her face. Edwin leaned forward to kiss her, but she turned her head at the last minute, and his lips landed on her cheek.

“Hi, Edwin,” she said smiling. “I’m ready.” She grabbed her purse and closed her door.

Edwin was frowning a little at having his kiss diverted. “Is everything all right, darling?” he asked. While they hadn’t slept together, they were past the cheek-kissing phase.

Mary bit her lip. “Everything is all right, Edwin, but we do need to talk.”

“I don’t think I like the sound of this,“ Edwin said. “You’re scaring me, Mary.”

“Let’s talk about it over dinner,” Mary said, getting into his car. Edwin nodded, and they were mostly silent on the way to the restaurant. Mary wasn’t really surprised when they wound up at the same fish and chips place she’d taken Tom to for lunch.

Once they were seated, and their food ordered, Edwin faced Mary, elbow on the table and chin in hand. “OK, so tell me, what’s up?” he asked.

Mary sighed. “I don’t quite know where to start. I think I told you, coming here, I was basically running away.”

Edwin nodded, his lips pursed. “You did. And?” he said.

“I was running from someone…“ Mary said.

Edwin looked at her, a little frown between his brows. “That sounds ominous.“

Mary shook her head. “No, it wasn’t like that. Mmmm, I was his counselor. He was accused and wrongfully convicted of a crime he didn’t commit. The person who had actually done it was a friend of his, and he, my client, refused to turn him in. My client took the fall, because his friend was getting married, and his fiancée was pregnant.”

Edwin reached out and took her hand. “Sounds like your client is quite a guy. But why were you trying to get away from him?”

Mary looked down at their clasped hands. “We had a… relationship,“ she said. “I had to step down as his attorney. I thought his feelings for me were just an attorney/client thing. It’s fairly common…”

“But?” he asked, eyebrows raised.

“He found me,” she said softly. “He found me and he followed me and he’s here. In Connah’s Quay.”

Edwin’s fingers tightened around hers. “Then what does that mean for us?”

Mary pulled her hand away. “That’s why I wanted to talk to you.” She glanced at his face, then away again. “Edwin, I do have feelings for you…“

“And him?” Edwin asked. “What about the other guy?”

Mary gave him a little half-smile. “Tom. His name is Tom. And, Edwin… I’m in love with him.”

“I see.” Edwin said flatly. “Does that mean you don’t want to see me anymore?”

“I’m leaving that up to you, Edwin,” Mary said quietly. “There’s no guarantee that things will work out with him. I’m still willing to go out with you, if you want to. I like you, and I enjoy your company. I just needed to tell you the truth, because I owe you that. I am still in love with Tom. I always have been. I never stopped loving him. And you deserve to know.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Actor!Tom
> 
> Rated: M
> 
> romance/smut
> 
> summary: This is the sequel to Fall. Tom’s been cleared, he’s out of jail, and now he just has to win the girl!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m having more fun with this than I thought I would! Hope it satisfies! If you’re reading this, I love you! So thanks!
> 
> Actor!Tom
> 
>  
> 
> Let me know if you like it, thanks for reading, and, as always, enjoy!

Spring

Chapter 3

Edwin eyed her for a moment before saying, “Thank you for your honesty. Quite frankly, I’m torn between saying, I want to fight for you, and, just fuck off.”

He smiled, and Mary laughed. “I can understand that,” she said. “Whatever you want, Edwin. Or, we can just be friends. I definitely enjoy your company.”  
He sighed, sitting back in his chair. “Let’s just take it as it comes, then, OK?” he said.

“Thank you, Edwin,” Mary said relieved. “Thank you.”

The rest of their dinner passed pleasantly, and when Edwin took her home, he walked her to her door, but she didn’t invite him in. “I hope you understand,” she said, and he nodded.

“But, may I still kiss you goodnight?” he asked wistfully.

Mary smiled, and going on tiptoe, touched her mouth gently to his. His hands came up and tangled in her hair, and his lips clung to hers. Mary instantly flashed back to kissing Tom, and as she thought of him, she responded to Edwin’s kiss. Encouraged, he deepened the kiss, then moved his mouth across her cheek to her neck, but when she murmured, “Tom…” Edwin pulled away, breathing heavily.

“Yes, well, goodnight, Mary,” he said, obviously disgruntled. He turned and looked back at her, a frown on his face as he went next door to his own house.

Mary winced when she heard his front door slam.

Tom spent the weekend preparing his lessons for Monday. He kept it relatively basic and generic, as he just didn’t know where the students were at, and wouldn’t know until he’d had a chance do an assessment once he had seen them. He had Mary in the back of his mind all the time, but he really did need to work, and he also really wanted to give her some space. She had given him her new phone number, and Sunday afternoon, he sent her a text.

[Hey Mary, how are you? I wanted you to know I’ve been thinking about you. Txox]

A few seconds later, he received her reply: [Hi, Tom, I’m good. You’re sweet. I’ve been thinking of you too. How are you settling in? MEx]

[Pretty good. Missing you. Planning for my first classes come Monday. Txox]

[That’s exciting! You’ll have to let me know how it goes. MEx]

[I’d love to tell you all about it Friday over dinner. Pick you up at seven? Txox]

[That sounds great! I look forward to it. MEx]

[Me too. I miss you, Mary Elizabeth. Txox]

[I miss you, too, Tom. See you Friday! MEx]

Smiling, Tom returned to his lesson plans.

Monday morning, Tom woke early, dressing as usual for his morning run in dark sweatpants and hoodie, white tee shirt, and his best running shoes. He set off, taking a brisk pace, the cool air feeling refreshing, and he felt the endorphins kick in. He knew he’d really need them today. It wasn’t that he was nervous, exactly. It’s just that he was nervous. He’d never really done a lot of teaching before, but he was confident that he did know the material. Certainly, he adored young people, and he was actually quite excited to be doing this.

Finishing his run, he hurried to shower, and dressed for his first day at work in a conservative, rather than a high-fashion, suit, dark blue dress shirt with a slightly darker plain tie. He brushed his hair and trimmed his sparse beard. Meeting his own eyes in the mirror, he thought he’d do!

As he gathered up his keys and briefcase, walking out the door and seeing his car parked in his spot, he looked around his new neighborhood and realized that his Jaguar looked ostentatious. Well, there wasn’t really anything he could do about it. It was what he had. Shrugging, he crossed the street and made his way to the front door of his new school. Once he got inside the door, he just stood there in the foyer, looking both ways up and down the hall, finally spotting the small sign that read ‘office,’ and heading for it. Pushing open the door, he approached the front desk.

The middle-aged, no nonsense receptionist eyed him. “Mr. Hiddleston,“ she said crisply, and Tom nodded mutely. “I have selected young Huw Evans here to show you around,” she said, pointing her chin at a strapping young man who was standing over to the side.

The boy stuck out his hand at Tom, and Tom took it, shaking it briefly, noting that the boy was almost as tall as he was, and that Huw probably outweighed him. ”Pleased to meet you, Mr. Hiddleston, sir,” he said excitedly.

“The pleasure is mine, Mr. Evans,” Tom said, smiling at the boy. “If you would show me where things are, I’d be grateful.” Tom fished through his briefcase, pulling out a sheet of paper and studying it for a moment. “According to my schedule, my first class is third period. I will want to know where the drama room is, where the cafeteria is, and where the staff room is. Do you know all that?” When Huw nodded eagerly, Tom smiled again and said, “Very well, lead the way!”

Huw set off, and Tom walked alongside him. “Do you study drama, Mr. Evans?” he asked.

“Yes sir,” the boy responded, nodding vigorously. “I sing too. I’m planning on a music career, and my vocal coach recommended I take a drama class to loosen me up. I do plan on auditioning for the musical, sir. I thought, perhaps, the role of Jud Frye?”

Tom smiled to himself at the hopeful expression on the boy’s face. Certainly, his physical appearance would work for the character. “I think auditioning is a great place to start, Mr. Evans,“ he said encouragingly.

They had stopped outside a door marked ‘Staff Lounge.’ “Here’s the staff room, Mr. Hiddleston,” Huw said, and Tom looked around, orienting himself so that he’d remember where it was.

“Excellent!” Tom said. “Where to next, Mr. Evans?”

“The caf is just down this hall,” the boy said, and began walking again.

“Are you a senior, Mr. Evans?” Tom asked him as they walked quickly down the hall.

He looked at Tom over his shoulder. “Yes, sir, uh, Mr. Hiddleston, sir,” he said, stopping in front of a set of double doors. “This is the caf, sir.”

Once again, Tom glanced around, cementing the location in his mind. “Very well, Mr. Evans, take me to the drama room!” he said, grinning.

“Yes, sir,“ Huw said, saluting cheekily, and once more they set off down the hall.

“Uh, Mr. Hiddleston?” Huw asked shyly. “I wanted to say, sir, that I’ve seen all your films, and I think you’re brilliant, sir, and most of us here are really looking forward to your classes.”

“Why, Mr. Evans, what a lovely thing to say! Thank you so much!” Tom said, genuinely touched.

They had reached the end of a corridor, where a door with a frosted glass window in the top half, stood ajar. ”This is the drama room, sir,” Huw said, pushing the door open the rest of the way, and then standing back so Tom could enter.

Tom looked the boy in the eye before going into the room. “Thank you very much, Mr. Evans,” he said. “I can handle it from here.”

“You’re welcome, Mr. Hiddleston, sir,” he said, “If there’s nothing further, I have a class in another,” he glanced at his watch, then back at Tom, “fifteen minutes.”

“By all means Mr. Evans, carry on,” Tom said. “I will see you later in class. Period five, yeah?”

“Yes, sir,” Huw said, grinning, before turning and going back the way he had come.

Tom closed the door and looked around the room, assessing the space. He put his briefcase down on the desk, and then moved some boxes so that he could shove the desk into a corner. He liked this room, and he was already envisioning the way he hoped the classes would go. There was an open alcove to the left of the door, the walls lined with coat hooks, male and female dressing rooms enclosed at the end. This is where the students would change; as Tom didn’t feel the formal school uniform would be conducive to comfort in his drama classes, he intended to tell the students to bring loose, comfortable clothes to change into for class. He had an orientation letter all printed and ready to send home with all of the students, outlining his requirements and expectations, and he felt good about this day. As he still had over an hour before his first class, he decided to go to the staff lounge to see if he could meet some of the other teachers.

Tom had always had an excellent sense of direction, and he easily found his way back to the room Huw had shown him earlier. Squaring his shoulders and straightening his tie, he opened the door and entered the room. Glancing around, he saw three female and two male teachers sitting around a large round table, some sipping coffee or tea. One of the men was reading the newspaper. Tom stood there for a few moments before one of the women noticed him. Bouncing to her feet, she rushed to meet him, all curly red hair and freckles and five foot two.

“Oh my goodness, they weren’t kidding!” she said excitedly. “Tom Hiddleston, in the flesh, come to teach high school at Connah’s Quay!” She looked up at him towering over her and stuck out her hand. “I’m Ceridwen Phillips, English.” Tom shook her hand mutely, looking down at her and trying not to look too amused at the difference in their heights.

She turned to the others around the table, pointing at each in turn. “This is Caitlin Morgan, Social Studies; Beth Bando, Math; Iestyn Gryffudd, French; and behind the newspaper, Coach Dai Gareth, Sports.” All of the teachers except for the coach looked up and nodded. “Everyone, I give you our new drama teacher, Hollywood superstar Tom Hiddleston!”

Tom felt his cheeks turn pink as all of them, even Coach Gareth, looked up and eyed him speculatively. “I thought surely I’d heard them wrong,” Beth said, looking him up and down, “but you really are him, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” Tom said softly, feeling a little lost, and more than a little embarrassed.

Ceridwen returned to her seat, and, patting the empty chair next to her, said, ”Tom, come sit down. Tell us about yourself.”

Tom moved to sit, but at the same time, said, looking at all of them, “I certainly don’t want to bore you all. I’m sure you all know I’m here to replace Mrs. Chambers til the end of the year. I gather she’s quite ill, and it’s my sincere hope that she’ll make a complete recovery.”

“Yes, yes, but what’s it like in Hollywood, Tom?” Ceridwen asked excitedly, jumping up and down in her chair. “It’s OK if I call you Tom, isn’t it?”

Tom smiled, nodding. “Yes, please, I prefer it, actually. Mr. Hiddleston is my father, and being called that makes me feel old,” he said, chuckling, and most of the others laughed a little with him.

“So, most of the students here are really good kids,” Caitlin said. “I’m sure you’ll have no trouble with them.”

“That’s really good to know,” Tom said, relieved. “But to tell you the truth, the thing I’m really worried about is the musical.”

“Of course,” Iestyn said, pursing his lips. ”That makes sense. But, I’m afraid it’s about that time.” He looked at his watch and stood, looking at Tom. “Are you ready sir?” he said, bowing slightly.

“’We few, we happy few, we band of brothers,’” Tom said, rising, spreading his arms and looking around at them all, “’for he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother, be he ne’er so vile, this day shall gentle his condition.‘” And winking, he left for his first class.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Actor!Tom
> 
> Rated: M
> 
> romance/smut
> 
> summary: This is the sequel to Fall. Tom’s been cleared, he’s out of jail, and now he just has to win the girl!

Chapter 4

Mary was doing paperwork when a head popped around her office doorframe. “Hey, Mare, you ready for lunch?” Margedd Andrews asked, smiling.

“Sure, Mar,” Mary said, looking up at her friend, who was a prosecutor. “Just let me finish up this one last thing… There!” Mary stood, and, putting her computer into sleep mode, went to join Margedd. They moved down the hall, taking the stairs down to the break room on the first floor. Retrieving their packed lunches from the fridge, they found a table and sat together.

“So, what’s up with you, Margedd?” Mary asked. “How are Gwyl and the kids?”

“Oh, good, good,” Margedd said, looking at Mary speculatively. ”Bronwen’s got a new teacher at school, taking over midterm for one who became suddenly ill. She can’t stop talking about him.”

Mary bit her lip. “Which class?” she asked, not able to meet Margedd’s eyes.

Margedd chuckled. “I think you know, Mary,” she said, a twinkle in her eye. “I wanted to ask you about that fellow I saw in the courthouse last week, the day you won the Josephs case. He was just…. lurking… in the hall: tall, blond, blue-eyed, drop-dead gorgeous… I thought I recognized him, but I couldn’t quite place him at the time. Anyway, that day, l had forgotten something in the courtroom, and when I went back to get it, I saw you hugging each other. So, spill! Who is he and how do you know him?”

Mary ran her hands over her face. ”It’s a really long story, Margedd,” she said, sighing.

“We’ve got through lunchtime!” Margedd insisted. “Come on, Mary. Bronwen’s told me all about the new teacher. It is him, isn’t it?”

Mary nodded. “Yes, Margedd, it’s him. He’s the new drama teacher.”

“He’s that Hollywood actor, isn’t he? Tom something, from the Marvel movies?” Margedd asked excitedly.

“Tom Hiddleston,” Mary said quietly. “He also did The Hollow Crown, and Wallander, and Return To Cranford on the telly.”

“Oh, that explains it,” Margedd said, “I’ve seen all of those. But tell me, Mary, how do you know him, and why were you hugging each other?” Margedd watched her, one brow raised, until Mary sighed, and quickly told her the story.

“So, it took him four months to find you, and once he did, he got a job, found an apartment, and moved here so that he could date you?” Margedd asked incredulously. When Mary nodded, Margedd said, “Incredible!”

“I know, right?” said Mary, a look of disbelief on her face. “Maybe, he really does love me. I’m afraid to hope, because l know I love him.”

“Well, you have to give him, and yourself, a chance,” Margedd said positively. “But, aren’t you seeing your next door neighbor? Edgar? Edmund?”

“Edwin,” Mary said. “Yes, but we weren’t exclusive or anything. I told him about Tom last week. We’re just going to play it by ear. I’m not hiding anything from either one of them. I love Tom, but I like Edwin, too, and if Tom and I don’t work out…”

“I’d be lying if I said I won’t be watching to see how this plays out,” Margedd said. “But, now it’s time to get back to work.” And she and Mary each returned to their own offices.

Tom’s first day at school had gone very well indeed. Most of the students were in the drama program because they wanted to be there, and the level of energy and enthusiasm was exhilarating. There were a handful of those who were only there because they thought it would be an easy elective, and Tom was afraid those few students were in for a rude awakening.

Huw Evans did show up for Period 5 class, and Tom was pleased to discover that the boy was quite talented; in spite of his rough looks, he had an innate ability, and Tom was fairly sure that if he followed through with his audition, that he would get the part he was wanting to play.

On Wednesday, after school, Tom called Mary. “Are we still on for Friday?” he asked hopefully.

“Yes, of course, Tom,” Mary said softly, her breath catching in her throat. “It’s really good to hear your voice,” she said, sighing.

“That’s the real reason I called,” Tom confessed. “I really just wanted to hear you. I miss you, Mary, but I’m so busy with work! I never imagined being a teacher would take so much out-of-school time!”

“But are you enjoying it, Tom?” Mary asked, genuinely curious.

“Yes, very much so,” Tom said, “surprisingly so! It’s extremely rewarding.”

“I have a friend here at work whose daughter is in one of your classes, Bronwen Andrews. Apparently, she’s quite excited to have you as a teacher.”

“Ah, young Ms. Andrews,” he said, sighing. “Yes, I fear she is suffering from a little case of hero worship. Not quite as bad as some of the other girls…”

Mary suddenly had a vision of what it must be like to be a teenaged girl in a class taught by Tom. The hormones must truly be raging. “Be careful, Tom,” she warned. “You could potentially be in a volatile situation. You know what your fans are like, and you know you’re wildly attractive…” Tom began to scoff, but Mary cut him off. “No, Tom, I mean it; take this seriously. NEVER allow yourself to be alone with one of your students. Ever. I really mean it.”

“OK, Mary,” Tom said meekly. “I knows you’re right. If any of these kids consider themselves fan girls, or boys, I could get into real trouble if l let down my guard around them.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I wish Luke was here. He is so good at keeping me focused and on the straight and narrow. Will you help me, Mary?”

“Of course I will, Tom,” she said reassuringly. “I bet I can be almost as effective as Luke!”

“Just don’t let me forget, Mary,” Tom said seriously. “I’m going to count on you.”

“You got it, Tom,” Mary said. “Oh, I hate to be this way, but I’m still on the clock at work.”

“Oh, of course you are!” Tom said, looking at his watch. “Sorry, sweetie. I’ll let you go for now, but I am so looking forward to dinner on Friday!”

“I am, too, Tom,” Mary said happily. “See you then! Seven, right?”

“Yes, seven! I’ll pick you up!” Tom said. “I love you, Mary.”

“I love you, too,” she said.

Tom announced in all his classes that auditions would be the Thursday and Friday of the following week. They were doing Oklahoma!, which had basically three lead parts: the heroine, Laurie; the hero, Curly; and the villain, Judd. Huw had said he wanted the part of Judd, and Tom could definitely see him in that role. But he didn’t really have a feel for Laurie or Curly yet. And, of course, auditions were open to the entire school, not just the drama students, so it was possible that either or both parts could go to a student that Tom didn’t even know, but he sincerely hoped not. He liked the idea of it actually being his own students, as he would be working closely with whoever was chosen.

Tom had asked the Music teacher, Gordon Frazier, to be in on the audition process, and the two met after school on Thursday to discuss possible candidates to encourage.

“Well, the three leads have to be able to sing,” Gordon said. “For the rest of the ensemble, it would be nice to have singers, but the three leads are essential, and we’ll need enough singers to make a chorus as well.”

“That’s definitely true,” Tom said. “I think I know who l want for Judd; he’s a student of yours, as well as of mine.”

“Huw Evans,” Gordon said fondly. “That’s who you mean, isn’t it?” When Tom nodded, Gordon said, “Yes, he’s perfect.”

“I agree,” Tom said. “He’s very impressive, very talented, and he certainly looks the part.”

“Wait til you hear him sing!” Gordon said, “Remember Susan Boyle? It’s like that! You won’t believe the sounds that come out of that boy.”

Tom raised his eyebrows. “Well, now I’m really excited to hear him!”

“You got anybody for Laurie or Curly?” Gordon asked, glancing over his class rosters.

“Not definitive,” Tom said, pursing his lips. “I’m still in assessment mode.”

“For Laurie, maybe Bronwen Andrews. Or Kate Merrydd,” Gordon said.

“I know Bronwen,” Tom said. “And for Curly?”

Gordon looked up from his papers. “Hmmm. Owen Llewellyn?”

Tom licked his upper lip. “Maybe,” he said. “I guess he’s a real possibility.”

“Well, all right then,” Gordon said, gathering up his books and rising from his chair. “I’ll see you tomorrow, eh, Tom?”

Tom smiled broadly. “Yes, Gordon, you will! Have a great evening!”

“You, too, Tom,” and with that, Gordon left.

Tom got ready to go as well. He only had to walk across the street to be home, but he wanted to go to the store to get the ingredients for tomorrow night’s dinner. He hadn’t told Mary, but he was planning a quiet night in, cooking their dinner himself, then watching a video and cuddling on the couch. This first week at school had been stressful and exhausting, and he couldn’t think of anything he’d rather do more than just have a quiet evening at home with his love.

He thought meatloaf would be nice, so he bought hamburger and ground sausage and breadcrumbs, as well as seasonings. He already had eggs at home. He bought salad fixings, some sourdough bread, and ice cream for dessert. Paying for his purchases, he returned to his car and drove home, spending the rest of his evening in front of the telly with tomorrow’s lesson plans, and thinking of tomorrow night with Mary.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Actor!Tom
> 
> Rated: M
> 
> romance/smut
> 
> summary: This is the sequel to Fall. Tom’s been cleared, he’s out of jail, and now he just has to win the girl!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 5 and no smut yet, sorry. My stuff is more about the feels with some smutty scenes, I guess you know that by now, with a few exceptions…
> 
> Thanks for reading, let me know if you like it, aaaaand… what comes next? Oh yeah, enjoy!

Spring

Chapter 5

On Friday, Tom was so excited to be seeing Mary again, that it was hard for him to get through the day. He knew the students deserved his best, though, so he made a real effort to totally put all thoughts of the evening out of his mind, and for the most part, he was successful. The morning passed slowly, and he was more than relieved when the bell rang, signaling that it was finally time for lunch. Making his way to the cafeteria, he moved to the staff area, got his brown bag lunch out of the fridge, and walked over to the table where Ceridwen, Iestyn, Beth, and Caitlin were sitting. These four, along with Dai, (that he had met on his first day at school), had, over the course of the week, become his biggest support, especially Ceridwen. The feisty red head was vivacious and friendly, and Tom really enjoyed her company. Now, once he was seated, he unpacked his lunch and dug in.

“So, Tom, got any plans for the weekend?” Ceridwen, asked, looking at him flirtatiously.

Tom missed the look, so he enthusiastically replied, “Yes, I’m having my girlfriend over for dinner and a movie tonight! We haven’t seen each other for a week, and I’m unbelievably excited!”

The look of dismay on Ceridwen’s face caused Iestyn to laugh, and she said, “You have a girlfriend?” in a disappointed voice.

“Of course he has a girlfriend,” Iestyn said, still chuckling. Ceridwen smacked him on the arm, then turned back to Tom.

“OK, then, Tom, tell us about your girlfriend!” Ceridwen demanded.

“Well,” Tom said, running a hand over his hair, smiling broadly, “she’s an attorney. She works in the public defender’s office.”

“Wow, an attorney,” Beth said, impressed. “How did you meet her?”

“That’s not really something I like to talk about,” Tom said quietly, frowning. “Suffice it to say, I got into a little trouble with the law.”

The others looked surprised, but Caitlin, who was the least talkative of them all, looked at Tom sympathetically. “I read all about that, Tom,” she said quietly. “I’m glad it all got sorted out.”

Ceridwen folded her arms. “Well, now, you can’t just leave it like that! You have to tell us the story now!”

Silently, Tom looked around the table at all of them. “Very well, since speculation and curiosity may very well lead to rumors, l may as well tell you what really happened, so you’ll have it right, in spite of what other stories you may hear,“ he said, and in a quiet, solemn voice, he proceeded to tell them the entire story, greatly abbreviating some of the more sordid parts.

When he had finished, Ceridwen had tears in her eyes, and Beth and Iestyn were looking at him with greater respect than before.

“I’ve wondered, how have you managed to cope with the aftermath of the… violation?” Caitlin asked. “You seem so, well-adjusted. I would think that something like must have been absolutely devastating perhaps damaging.”

“It was,” Tom said softly. “Of course, I have a therapist. I had fairly intense therapy at first, and I still go once every two weeks. My therapist tells me that my innate optimism and joy was what saved me, so of course, I try to remember that, and I’m grateful for it.”

“Thank you for sharing this with us, Tom,” Beth said. “Thank you for trusting us, and I think I speak for all of us when I say that this won’t go any further than the four us.”

“Thank you all,” Tom said, then, rubbing his neck, he turned to Ceridwen and said, ”So, I’m having my girlfriend over tonight for dinner and a movie. How about you?”

Blushing slightly, still moved by Tom’s story, and embarrassed that her insensitivity had caused the commotion in the first place, Ceridwen couldn’t quite meet his eyes when she said, “I’ve got nothing. No plans, no boyfriend, nothing.”

Beth and Caitlin were both married with children, and Iestyn had just started going out with a girl he’d met at church, and they all looked at Ceridwen with exasperation and sympathy. “We’ve been trying to find her a boyfriend for years,” Iestyn said, only partially joking, “So if you know of any hot prospects, send them this way.”

“I’ll remember that, and keep my eyes open!” Tom said, amused. “But now, we all must return to the trenches.” Ceridwen’s room was in the same direction as the drama room, and Tom and she usually walked together, so as Tom stood, he waited for her to finish up. “Are you ready?” he asked her.

“Just let me pack up my trash,’’ she said, standing and gathering it together. “See you all later,” she said to the others, as she and Tom left the caf.

Tom managed to get through the rest of the afternoon, and once his last class was over, instead of lingering, planning for the next day, as was his habit, today he gathered up his things and left for home. When he got there, he put his school things away, then went to change out of his school clothes into jeans and a tee shirt, slipping his feet into his beat-up black Chucks. He was a naturally tidy person, but he took a few extra minutes straightening up the living-room, kitchen, and bathroom, before finally poking his head into his bedroom, pondering; then, shaking his head, not even daring to hope that he might get lucky tonight, he closed the door, leaving the room a little messy.

It was still too early to start cooking the dinner, but he was still so fidgety, he decided to take a run, even though he didn’t usually run in the afternoon. He figured he had another hour, which should be plenty of time, so he changed into his usual running clothes and set out.

After a brisk half-hour, he returned home, hopped in the shower, and redressed in his casual clothes. Moving to the kitchen, he gathered the ingredients and utensils he needed for the meat loaf, then mixing it together and placing it in the oven. He tore the lettuce, chopped the vegetables, and tossed them together into a salad. He‘d need to leave his house at about 6:40 to pick up Mary, so he sunk down onto the couch with a book to wait.

When Mary finished work, she also didn’t wait, but went straight home. Tom hadn’t said where they were dining, so she wasn’t sure how to dress. She decided to go with a comfortable skirt and top, dressy but comfortable flats, and minimal jewelry. She was ready by 6:00, and after pacing restlessly for fifteen minutes, she decided to go next door and see how Edwin was.

He answered her knock on the door with little delay, a broad smile on his face. “Mary!” he said delightedly. “How are you? To what do I owe this impromptu visit?”

Mary bit her lip. “It will sound unkind if I tell you the truth, so I think I’ll settle with just saying, I’ve wondered how you are?”

“Come on in,” Edwin said, stepping back and opening the door wide.

Mary followed him in and plopped down on the couch, as she usually did when she visited him. “Tom’s coming for me at seven,” she confessed. “I was driving myself crazy, rattling around my house waiting. Oh, I’m so insensitive.” She stood, and headed for the front door. “I’m sorry, Edwin. I’ll leave now.”

Edwin stood, and beating her to the front door, he looked at her, shaking his head. “Sit, Mary,” he said “It’s OK. I understand how this works. You’re my friend, so sit and visit with me til Tom gets here.” He went and drew the curtains. “There. You’ll be able to see him arriving out the window.”

“What will he think, seeing me coming out of your house?” Mary said, biting her lip. She sat up straight, squaring her shoulders. “You know, I don’t care what he thinks! I’ve told him you and I are friends, and we’re neighbors, so…” and she rose and went into the kitchen. “I’m helping myself to a glass of water,” she called back to him. “Can l bring you some?”

“No thanks, Mary,” Edwin called back, “I already have a coke.” Mary got her water and returned to her spot on the couch.

“So, you’ve chosen your Tom,” Edwin said, his voice even, and it was a statement.

Mary had the grace to look embarrassed. “I’m sorry, Edwin, but I do love him. And, I think… I’m pretty sure… that he really loves me, too.”

Edwin nodded. “Well, friends, then!” Edwin said crisply. When Mary hung her head, Edwin chuckled. “It’s not as if my heart is broken,” he said, “so chin up, Mary! I shall do everything in my power to ensure that you win your Tom! If I can help in any way, help make him jealous, whatever, just let me know! Mary, you can count on me!”

He rose to his feet, looking out the window, as Tom’s car drove up outside. Walking to Mary, he pulled her to her feet, and said, “Here he is.”

Mary threw her arms around him, kissing him on the cheek. “Edwin, you’re such a good friend!” she said.

“Yes, I’m much better than you deserve!” Edwin said cheekily.

“Well, I’d best catch him before he knocks on my door, since I’m not there!” Mary said. “Thanks again, Edwin!” And with a final wave, she was out the door, and dashing down the walk to meet Tom.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Actor!Tom
> 
> Rated: M
> 
> romance/smut
> 
> summary: This is the sequel to Fall. Tom’s been cleared, he’s out of jail, and now he just has to win the girl!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here you are! Thanks for reading, let me know if you like it, and, as always, enjoy!

Spring

Chapter 6

Tom was already out of his car, halfway up her walk, when he saw her coming out of Edwin’s door. He glanced down at his phone, then rechecked the number on the house. “Did I get the address wrong?” he asked, a puzzled look on his face, as Mary approached him.

“Oh, no,” Mary said, slightly breathless for having run. “This is my house. I was next door visiting Edwin.”  
“Edwin,” Tom said slowly, frowning a little. “Mary…”

Mary gave a little smirk, then threw her arms around him. “He’s my friend, Tom, and that’s all it is.” She pulled away, and looked up into his eyes, lifting a hand to his face. “But, I love you, Tom.”

Tom felt his stomach drop, and he kissed her softly, holding himself firmly in check. The blood rushed to his cock, and he pressed himself against her. “Let’s go,” he said, gritting his teeth, “before I do something your neighbors probably don’t want to see.”

His words and the expression on his face hit Mary hard, and she felt herself getting wet. Wordlessly, she allowed him to lead her to his car, looking at him solemnly, her eyes huge, as he helped her in, buckled her seatbelt, and closed the door, before going around to the driver’s side and getting in himself. He started the car and began to drive.

“Do you realize it’s been four months?” he said quietly. The sexual tension in the air was palpable, and Mary didn’t even try to pretend to not understand him.

“I know,” she said softly. “For me, too.”

“You haven’t…?” he asked.

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “I came close with Edwin, but I still love you, so it didn’t happen, and now it’s not going to.”

“It may be selfish of me, but I’m glad,” Tom said, and she could hear the satisfaction in his voice. “I’ve been looking for you all this time. There hasn’t been time or room for anybody else for me.”

“Then I’m glad, too,” Mary said. Biting her lip, she tried to get her mind off of how aroused she was, by asking, “So, Tom, where are you taking me for dinner?”

“Oh, it’s a very exclusive establishment, very posh,” he said, a thread of laughter running through his words. “I’ve spared no expense to take you to this fine eating venue.” They had arrived, and he parked in his usual spot, exited the car, went around to open her door and help her out, and said, “I give you… my flat!”

Mary pursed her lips mischievously. “Why Tom Hiddleston! If I didn’t know better, I might think you had designs on my virtue!”

Tom looked at her seriously, and raising a hand and cupping her face, he said, ”Honestly, I just wanted us to be able to be alone together. I’m trying so hard to give you some space. I’m wanting to woo you, to court you.” He pressed his lips to her forehead, then drew away, running his hand over his hair. Then, taking her hand, he led her to his flat, opening the door and pulling her in after him. “You’ll see,” he said, waving his hand around his living room. “I had no expectations of getting lucky tonight. I didn’t even pick up the bedroom. It’s messy…”

“Sounds like a carefully crafted scenario to me,” she said, with mock suspicion, then laughing at the soulful look on his face. “What’s for dinner, Tom?” she asked, sniffing appreciatively. “It smells delicious!”

Tom looked embarrassed as he replied, “Meatloaf and salad, sourdough bread, and ice cream for pudding. I wanted something homey, and it’s one of my staple recipes.”

“Is it ready?” she asked. “Because I’m starved!”

“It should be,” his said. “Come sit, and I’ll serve us.”

Tom served the meal family style, watching with pleasure as Mary took a healthy portion of both meatloaf and salad. “This is wonderful Tom,” she groaned in appreciation, her mouth full. “Sorry,” she said after swallowing, “but it’s so good. Have you ever thought about a second career as a chef?”

Tom looked at her, eyes narrowed. “It’s only meatloaf, Mary,” he chided gently.

“It’s good,” she said, protesting. Buttering another slice of bread, she said, “Tell me about your first week of school.”

“Oh, the students are brilliant!” Tom said enthusiastically. ”Almost all of them are there because they love theater. I have some students who are strictly about acting, but quite a few of them are musical as well, and I’m working with the choral teacher to help me cast the spring play. We’re doing ‘Oklahoma!’ Gordon and I — he’s the music teacher — we may cast Bronwen Andrews as the lead. She’s the daughter of a friend of yours, yeah?”

“Yes,” Mary said, her brows raised. “Oh, Margedd would be so excited.”

“Well, don’t say anything to her yet,” Tom said seriously. “Auditions aren’t even happening til Thursday and Friday next week, but Gordon and I are going to encourage her to try out.”

“My lips are sealed,” Mary said, making a zipping motion across her mouth. “But that’s still rather exciting. “

“It really is,” Tom said, smiling. “There’s enormous talent at the school. I’m surprised and elated. I can make a difference here.”

“Tom, what about your acting career?” Mary asked quietly.

Tom rose, gathering up their dirty dishes, using the time to think of what he wanted to say. He got the ice cream from the freezer and some bowls from the cupboard before returning to his seat at the table.

“I told my agent I needed to take a break,” he said. “I wanted to let things all blow over.” He looked at her steadily for a moment before continuing. “I knew I couldn’t do anything until I found you. Being able to do this teaching job, it’s a joy, and icing on the cake.”

“It’s this…” Mary said, gesturing towards him, “this right here, this passion, this enthusiasm, this joy… that makes me love you so, Tom.”

Tom ran his hand over his hair, biting his lip. “I’m trying to think of something to say to break the tension.”

Mary laughed, taking a slurping bite of her ice cream. “I think that did it!” she said.

“Thor 3 starts filming next year,” Tom said. “I’m assuming they’ll still want me for that.”

“I think your fans will demand it,” Mary said, nodding. “You know your popularity only went up, right?”

“Yes, think I remember Luke mentioning that,” Tom said, rubbing his neck. “I’m overwhelmed and grateful, of course.”

They finished up their ice cream, then both stood, putting their bowls in the sink, then standing awkwardly.

“What happens now, Tom?” Mary asked, biting her lip.

Tom looked at her, devouring her with his eyes. “I thought maybe, a video? Unless there’s something else you’d rather do?”

Mary’s breathing was all haywire. She struggled with what she wanted to say, versus what she thought she ought to say. Tom watched her silently, recognizing that she was arguing with herself, and his chest rose and full visibly.

Finally something snapped in Mary. “Screw it,” she growled, launching herself at him. “Fuck me, Tom! I can’t take it anymore!”

Their chests collided and Tom’s arms came up around her, while their mouths joined hungrily. Tongues tangling, teeth nibbling, hot, wet — it was spicier than sin, and Tom knew he was in serious danger of losing control. His cock felt ready to break through the zipper of his jeans, and he could smell Mary’s arousal, and with a feral look on his face, he put his hands on her shoulders and forced her away from him. The loss of contact was physically painful, and he winced. He shook his head, trying to clear it.

“Stop, stop, wait,” he said, panting. “It’s been too long. We have to slow down, or I’m going to come in my trousers.”

Mary took a couple of deep breaths, trying to get herself back under control. Fisting her hands at her sides, she said, “You’d better not! You have to fuck me first!”

He shut his eyes tight, gritting his teeth. “No matter what we do, the first time is going to be quick. I can’t help it.” He shook his head. ”I’m sorry, I’m already about to…”

“Where’s your bedroom?” Mary asked. “Take me there.”

Tom looked at her for a few more moments, then silently turned and left the kitchen. Mary followed behind him. He opened the door and motioned her in. “I’m sorry. I told you I didn’t tidy it up.”

Mary glanced around, smirking. “I’ve seen worse,” she said, chuckling.

“I didn’t dare to even hope,” he said.

“We don’t need any foreplay, do we?” Mary asked, walking towards him slowly.

“Nooooo, no,” Tom said, “I’m already so hard I could hammer nails.”

“Turn around,” Mary demanded. “Get undressed. Quickly. Don’t watch me! Meet me on the bed.”

“Yeah, all right,” Tom agreed. “I wanted to undress you slowly, but that’s not gonna work tonight, is it?”

Both of them stripped off their clothing as quickly as they could, tossing garments willy-nilly. Not watching each other was good in one way, but bad in another: there wasn’t any visual stimulation, but just the sound of clothing rustling and shoes hitting the floor had both of them ready to scream. Mary was gritting her teeth and Tom was panting. But at the sounds of both of their zippers, one after the other, they both moaned out loud, and sped up even more, until finally naked, they both fell on the bed.

Mary kept her eyes closed. She was so turned on that she thought that there was a real possibility that she might come the moment Tom touched her. Keeping her eyes shut, she rolled over onto her back.

And felt Tom’s lips on hers, his tongue in her mouth, his hands cupping her breasts while he rubbed the nipples with his thumbs. “Open your eyes, love,” Tom whispered, and Mary opened them to find herself looking up into Tom’s beautiful blue ones.

“Oh, Tom you’re so beautiful,” she said, her voice filled with wonder.

Tom grinned crookedly, “So are you, my Mary,” he said. “I want to go slow and take my time with you, but I can’t. Not this time.” His voice was full regret.

“Next time.” Mary said urgently. “Tom, I need you inside me. Now!”

Tom groaned and positioned himself between Mary’s thighs. He lined his cock up with her wet slit and began to slowly enter her. Mary made an impatient sound in her throat, and wrapping her legs around his hips, she pushed herself forward, impaling herself on his cock.

“Oh, fuck, that feels good, Tom,” she moaned, her head thrown back and eyes tight shut. She bucked her hips against him to encourage him to move, but he rigidly held himself still. “Give me a minute,” he said. “I’m right on edge. Let me pull it back.”

He held himself in check, forcing himself to take slow, deep breaths. After a minute, he opened his eyes and looked into hers as he slowly began thrusting inside her, a little smile on his lips. “You’re so hot and tight, Mary,” he said, his voice a sensual purr. “You feel so good.”

“Oh, Tom, please just fuck me!” Mary lifted her pelvis to meet him, ankles still locked around his hips, trying to encourage him to go faster. The sensations were overwhelming, and pretty soon, Tom lost all semblance of control, his hips pistoning, driving his cock into her faster and harder.

“Oh, god, Tom,” Mary cried out, “I’m so close. I need…”

Tom seemed to know, because he slipped a hand between them and found her clit. “You need to come now, Mary,” he pleaded. “I can’t hold out much longer.”

He gritted his teeth and worked Mary’s clit until she shrieked, and when he felt the first spasms of her climax, gripping and milking his cock, he yelled as he came hard, an orgasm that went on and on, totally filling her.

His strength gone, he collapsed on top of her, and Mary wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly, gripping him with both arms and legs as they caught their breath, coming down from their high. Tom would have moved off her, but Mary refused to let him go, and he rested his head on the pillow next to hers, his face buried in her hair, his hands resting on her shoulders. Gradually, he softened and slipped out of her, and Mary felt their combined juices flowing down her thighs.

She sighed. “I’m sorry I ran, Tom,” she murmured. “I love you so. I promise, I won’t run again.”

Tom kissed her gently. “I love you, too, Mary.” He propped himself up on his arms so that he could look at her. “Trust me. My love is real,” he said. “And I’m not giving you a chance to run again. You’re mine. And I’m never going to let you go again.”

Mary smiled. “You’re mine, too,” she said, pulling him back down into her embrace.

Tom nodded. “Yes. I am. You’re mine. And I’m yours,” he said, and then rolling on his back, he nestled her against his side, and arms around each other, they drifted off to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Actor!Tom
> 
> Rated: M
> 
> romance/smut
> 
> summary: This is the sequel to Fall. Tom’s been cleared, he’s out of jail, and now he just has to win the girl!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not a lot of plot this chapter; you know what that means! Enjoy!
> 
> Thanks everybody for reading! Let me know if you like it!

Spring

Chapter 7

Mary sighed and burrowed deeper into Tom’s arms. He was still asleep, and she reveled in listening to his deep, easy breathing, the sensation of his heartbeat under her ear, feeling his entire body wrapped around her in a full-body hug. It had been the hardest thing she had ever done when she had left him; she knew it would be impossible to ever leave him again.

His breathing hitched, and she heard him murmur her name in his sleep as his arms tightened around her, and her heart swelled with love for him. He’d been dreaming of marrying her while he was still in prison; she wondered if he would ask her now. And if he did, what would she say? When she’d been his attorney, she had seen, first hand, a little bit of the craziness that surrounded his life, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to be a part of it. On the other hand, if that was the price to be paid to be with him, she knew she’d do it. Anything to be with him.

And after all, she was used to the public eye, and she wasn’t shy by any stretch of the imagination! Her background was spotless, there were no scandals to bring up to throw in his face and hurt his career. The closest thing she’d ever had to an indiscretion, was the beginning of their relationship, and technically, even that had all been above board.

Now, she felt his body stirring against her stomach, his morning erection in all its glory. Mischievously, she wondered if she should do something about it. Last night had been intense and satisfying, but it had been brief, and she wasn’t done with Tom by any means. It was the weekend, with no school or court, they were together, and in love, and she couldn’t think of any reason why she shouldn’t wake Tom up in a most stimulating way.

Easing herself slowly out of his embrace, she quietly went to the bathroom, then returned and slipped back under the covers with him. While she’d been gone, Tom had rolled so that he was on his back, which made what she had planned so much easier. Positioning herself between his splayed legs, she took just the tip of his cock into her mouth, sucking gently, then, relaxing her throat, she slowly look him deeper. Being careful to sheath her teeth, she slowly began to bob up and down on his shaft, willing herself to take him a little bit deeper each time. His breathing was beginning to change, but she thought he was still asleep, and he was getting harder, and beginning to buck his hips against her face a little.

She wasn’t sure of the exact moment that he came awake, but when she felt him began to shift the covers down, she made sure that she was looking up, because she wanted to look in his eyes; she wanted him to see her loving him this way. As the covers moved off of her, and their eyes met, he gasped, and she smiled around his cock in greeting, humming in her throat, knowing that he would feel the vibrations in the sensitive head.

“Fuck, Mary,” he said softly, tangling a hand in her hair. “What a way to wake up! I thought I was dreaming!”

Tom watched her, his eyes glittering. When he’d pulled back the covers to see her sucking on his cock, an intense look of pleasure on her face, he almost couldn’t believe it. Now that he was awake, she began moving faster, grasping the base with her hand and moving it up and down in rhythm with her mouth, massaging his balls with her other hand, and he was close oh, so close…

He tugged gently on her hair to try to pull her off, but she just kept swallowing him, constantly humming now, and Tom knew he had to say something. “Mary, you have to stop. I’m close… I’m going to cum down your throat… aaah…”

Mary just smiled around him and sped up her movements, sucking harder, and Tom’s mouth dropped open, and he couldn’t stop himself from wrapping both his hands in her hair and fucking her mouth as his orgasm hit, his seed shooting deep into her throat, and trickling out the corners of her mouth.

Tom let out a deep groan, breathing heavy. “God, Mary, that was the most erotic thing I’ve ever…” He was still coming down from his high, panting slightly while she licked him off with a sultry grin on her face. She scootched up and laid her head on his chest, running her fingernails lightly over his pecs and nipples. “I love you, Tom,” she murmured, pressing a kiss into the crook of his neck.

“I love you, too,” he said still sounding dazed. “Give me a minute to recover, and then I’ll return the favor. I owe you an orgasm.”

Mary felt his words to the core, and her cunt twitched, and she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. It had been unbelievably exiting, watching Tom get off that way, and now she was wet and aching. Fortunately, Tom recovered quickly, and he kissed her brow gently before laying her on her back. He got up and moved to the foot of the bed, grasping her ankles gently and pulling her so that her bottom was even with the edge of the mattress, which caused her to let out a little squeal, until she figured out what he was up to. He knelt on the floor at the foot of the bed, pulled her legs over his shoulders, and buried his face in her pussy.

“I love doing this,” he murmured, as he licked her slit, bottom to top, avoiding her clit, and she sucked in a breath as he teased her, swiveling his tongue all around, but avoiding that one place she really wanted him. She gasped when he dipped his tongue in as far as he could, fucking her with it, but still not touching her swollen clit.

“Tom!” she moaned in protest, and fisted her hands in his hair, trying to force him to that spot, but he resisted, chuckling softly.

“What’s your hurry?” he asked in a low, sensual voice. “What do you want, Mary?”

“Unh,” Mary responded, “I want your fingers in me and your mouth on me.”

“Like this?” Tom asked, inserting two fingers and finding her g-spot, at the same time gently sucking on her clit, flicking it lightly with just the tip of his tongue.

“Oh, yessss, just like that,“ Many moaned, holding his face against her, as he used his fingers and mouth to drive her higher and higher. She could hear a soft, almost slithering sound, and she finally realized that while Tom was pleasuring her, he was also stroking his cock with his other hand, and she raised her head from the bed to look, the sight of his fist tight around his shaft, pumping rapidly up and down, was incredibly arousing. She was amazed and excited that he was ready again so soon.

“Oh, god, oh, Tom, you’re going to make me come,” Mary moaned, and Tom felt her pussy clench around his fingers as she came. He continued to work her orgasm, milking the last few spasms, and then moving swiftly, he stood up between her legs, grasped her knees, and entered her roughly, thrusting immediately, with hard, powerful thrusts.

Instantly Mary felt another climax start to build. By angling her pelvis in just the right way, she was able to direct Tom’s thrusts so that his cock hit her g-spot with every stroke, and she kept her eyes on his, as she slowly got closer and closer. She could tell by Tom’s breathing, and the way his rhythm was breaking down, that he was getting close, too.

“You need to come, Mary,” Tom said through his teeth. “I’m not going to be able to hold out much longer. I’m going to shoot inside you, and I want you to come for me first. Touch yourself.”

Mary nodded silently and began working her clit. “Close,” she panted, “so close…”

“Mary,” Tom gasped, sounding desperate, “please!”

“Tom!” Mary wailed, and her back arched up off the bed and she came, screaming, her pussy clamping down on Tom’s cock. With a roar, he stiffened, and thrusting one last time, as deep as he could, he emptied himself inside her.

He still held her knees, and when he was sure she was finished, he gently lowered her feet to the floor, reluctantly pulling out of her, and then laying down beside her. Mary lay there, eyes closed, then stretched languidly. She sat up, turned over and crawled back up the bed, kissing Tom lazily.

“Well, I feel well and truly fucked,” she said in a sated voice. She cuddled against him, and he brushed her hair back from her face.

“What would you like to do today?” Tom asked lovingly. ”Anything you want.”

“Hmmm,“ Many pretended to think, the tip of her index finger between her teeth. “How about shower and dress, make breakfast, watch that video, make lunch, then maybe fuck some more?”

“That sounds wonderful,” Tom said lazily. “I am hungry, and I do have a rather sizeable…”

“I know about your sizeable…” Mary began, cutting him off. 

”I was talking about my video collection!” Tom said playfully.

“Oh, good then,” Many smirked. “And can I brow some clothes? I find I don’t really want to get dressed up today.”

“Mmm,” Tom said. “I find the thought of seeing you dressed in one of my shirts and a pair of my boxers rather arousing.”

“Then let’s make that happen, after our shower,” Mary said, and rising from the bed, she looked at him over her shoulder, giving her bum a shimmy, as she walked to the bathroom. It only took a few seconds for him to rise and follow after her.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Actor!Tom
> 
> Rated: M
> 
> romance/smut
> 
> summary: This is the sequel to Fall. Tom’s been cleared, he’s out of jail, and now he just has to win the girl!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m really enjoying writing this story, it’s kinda different! Thanks for reading it, I hope you’re all enjoying it, too! Please feel free to let me know!

Spring

Chapter 8

The rest of their weekend was spent watching videos, preparing and eating meals, talking and not talking, and making love: hot and raunchy, slow and sweet, and everything in between. Tom discovered that, Mary dressed in one of his shirts and a pair of his boxers, was a favorite look of his. But come Sunday night, after dinner was eaten and the dishes were washed and put away, Mary reluctantly dressed in her own clothes for the first time since Friday night.

“I don’t want you to go,” Tom said plaintively, giving her the puppy eyes.

“I know,” Mary said, running her hand through his hair and then hugging him tightly. It had been over a year since that horrible night of the accident that had sent him to prison, and his hair had grown out and was now its natural blond color, with curls, although now that he was older, he was keeping it shorter. But Mary decided she really preferred him as a blond, even though it still surprised her to see him that way.

Now, she cupped his face in her hands and kissed him gently. “You know I have to go,” she said quietly. “You have school tomorrow, and I have court. I’m starting a big trial tomorrow. It’s a murder case. It will take most of my energy for at least three weeks, and probably longer.”

Tom nodded, running his hands up and down her arms. ”I’ll be wrapped up in the play for the next three months. Auditions are this week….” He pulled her in for a kiss. “I’ll live for the weekends, when I can see you. I just don’t think there’s going to be any time during the week.”

Mary sighed, and hugged him again. “We can call and text, and see each other on Friday. I wish I could say that I’ll be too busy to miss you, but I know it’s not true.”

“Me, too,” Tom said. They kissed, both aware that they couldn’t allow it to become too heated, and yet, they both felt arousal stirring anyway. “I love you, Mary,” Tom said, kissing her forehead as he gently pulled away from her. “Are you ready?”

“No!” Mary said, pouting. But she got her purse and coat, then, taking his hand, said, “Let’s go, before I can’t.”

Leaving Mary at her house and driving away was the hardest thing he’d had to do since he got out of prison, Tom thought, as he tried to sleep that night. His bed was too big, and cold, but he could still smell Mary’s scent on his sheets, and he finally fell asleep cradling the pillow that she’d used, wishing it were her.

Monday and Tuesday passed in a blur, and on Wednesday, Tom had a meeting with Gordon, where they did some last minute planning for the auditions that would be taking place starting the next day. Both men felt they were ready, and Tom felt really good about where they were at.

After school, he made his way to the staff room to retrieve a book he’d left there, and found Ceridwen sitting at the table, her face in her hands. School had been out for hours, but he’d been working, and it was quite late, and he’d thought he was the only teacher still there, so seeing Ceridwen was quite a surprise. “Hey, Ceri,” he said cheerily. “What are you still doing here?“ He frowned when he realized she was sobbing. “Ceri,” he said, laying a hand gently on her shoulder, “are you all night?”

Ceri looked up, wiping her eyes, giving him a grin that tried and failed to live up to her usual exuberance. “I’m fine, Tom, it’s nothing,” she said. “Sometimes I just feel so… lonely.”

Tom sat down next to her, his face full of concern. “I can understand that,” he said sympathetically, patting her back awkwardly.

“Here I am crying on your shoulder,” she said, obviously embarrassed, ”after everything you’ve been through.” She stood, and turned to go.

“Ceri,” he began, rising and moving to prevent her from leaving. “What I went through in no way trivializes your experiences.”

“Tom, you are the sweetest man,” Ceridwen said, giving him a genuine smile. “I hope your girl knows how lucky she is!” She sighed. “I’ve been sort of seeing someone, and today he called me and gave me the “let’s be friends” speech, over the phone.”

“That’s low,” Tom said, disgustedly. “It’s guys like that that give men a bad name!”

Ceri laughed, and after a moment, Tom did too. “I think you should come to dinner with Mary and me Friday night. I don’t know yet what we’re doing, but whatever it is, you should come!”

“Really?” Ceri asked, her eyes huge.

“Yes, really!” Tom said. “I insist! As soon as I know what our plans are, I’ll let you know, but just plan on Friday night. OK?”

Ceri smiled shyly. “OK, Tom, I’ll plan on it.”

Tom was driving home when his phone chimed, indicating that he had a text message. He was excited, because he was sure it was Mary, but he waited, and as soon as he had parked his car, he immediately pulled his phone out of his pocket. Gathering up his briefcase, he checked the screen as he walked to his door.

[Tom, Edwin wants to have us over for dinner on Friday night. I said yes… MEx]

[Hmmm, I kind of invited one of my teacher friends to have dinner with us Friday. Her boyfriend just broke up with her. Do you think Edwin would be OK with one more? Txox]

[I don’t know. Let me check with him and I’ll let you know. Give me a minute. MEx]

It was only a few minutes later when Tom got the answer.

[Edwin is more than happy to have your friend as well. Seven o’clock. You can come to my house first, of course. MEx]

[Wonderful! I’ll tell her tomorrow. Thank Edwin for me. Txox]

[Of course! I told you Edwin is a good guy! MEx] 

[Well, it will be good for Ceridwen. Hey, maybe they’ll hit it off! Txox]

[LOL, Tom! Tom, I love you, you know. MEx]

[I love you, too, Mary. It’s great to hear from you. I miss you. Txox]

[I miss you, too, Tom. Can’t wait til Friday. MEx]

The next morning, Tom got ready for school with a little trepidation. Auditions would begin today after school, and he was a bit nervous about it. Between him and Gordon, they had put together the audition pieces for all the speaking and solo singing roles, so things should be ready, and he didn’t really have anything to worry about, but he couldn’t help it. He hadn’t worked this closely with high school students for quite a while, and he told himself that he wasn’t really nervous, he was just excited.

He had lunch with Ceridwen, Iestyn, and Caitlin, and they couldn’t help laughing at him, he was so excited. “You’re like a little boy,” Caitlin said, smiling indulgently. “I’m excited for you, Tom. I’m betting this will be the best production this school has ever put on.”

“Thank you, Caitlin, bless you for saying that,” Tom said, beaming at her. “I surely hope so! Gordon and I have worked hard. I’m quite looking forward to the auditions this afternoon.”

“Aah, I have some papers I have to finish grading,” Iestyn said, rising. “I’ll see you lovely people Monday. Everybody have a great weekend. And Tom, happy auditions, man!”

“Thanks, Iestyn,” Tom said. “Have a wonderful weekend.”

“I have to get, as well,” Caitlin said. “Good luck, Tom. Good weekend to you both.”

“Have a great weekend Caitlin,” Ceridwen said.

When she was gone, Tom turned to Ceridwen. “Ceri, are you still on for dinner Friday night with Mary and me?” he asked her.

“Sure, why not?” Ceridian said. “I haven’t had any better offers!”

Tom laughed. “Well, good. We’re having dinner at seven. I’ll get you the address. Mary’s going to love you!”

“I hope I’ll love her, too,” Ceridwen said. “Lucky girl. I hope she knows what she’s got in you!”

Tom just blushed.

Tom met Gordon in the auditorium, pretty much right after school. The students who were there to audition were shown to the green room, and each was given a random number to make it fair. Huw Evans had agreed to go last so that he could help with ushering students in and out.

The men were pleased that putting together an ensemble was not going to be difficult. Most of those who were trying out that day were only interested in singing in the chorus as part of the ensemble, and auditions would be continuing the next day as will. There was only a few students auditioning for the three lead roles, including Mary’s friend, Margedd’, daughter Bronwen; and, of course, Huw.

When all the other students were done, it was finally Huw’s turn, and as he took the stage, quietly confident, Tom was proud of his performance, and Gordon turned to Tom, whispering, “He’s really good isn’t he? Wait til you hear him sing.”

And, as Huw began to sing, a slow smile came over Tom’s face, because Gordon was totally right about Huw: the boy was brilliant. Tom closed his eyes, just enjoying Huw’s beautiful singing voice. When Huw finished, Tom and Gordon thanked him, and after he had left, Tom turned to Gordon and said, “Well, you know you were right about him. I can’t imagine anyone else being better for this part, but, of course, we do have one more day of auditions to go.”

“Yes, of course,“ Gordon said. “I agree. And who do you like so far for Laurie?”

“Bronwen Andrews, I guess,“ Tom said, a little reluctantly.

“You don’t seem too sure,” Gordon said, brows raised. “I agree with you, by the way, so why the hesitation?”

Tom ran a hand over his hair. “I’m, uh, well, I’m just a little concerned, because I’m afraid she may have a little crush on me, and it could make for difficulties when we’re working together.”

“I’ve got news for you,“ Gordon said ruefully, “I would say that 99% of the female students, and at least 75% of the female teachers, have a crush on you, Tom. I’m sorry, man, but, after all, you ARE Tom Hiddleston, Hollywood heart-throb. There’s nothing you can do about it!”

Tom pursed his lips. “Well, on the advice of my girlfriend, who happens to be an attorney, I am to endeavor to never be in a one-on one situation with a student. I hope I can count on you to help me with that.”

“Great advice, that is,” Gordon said, impressed. “Yes, we will do our best to protect you from love-crazed students!”

“Hey, Gordon, thanks, man,” Tom said gratefully. “So, who did you like for Curly?”

Gordon frowned. “Hmmm, so far, Hywel Davies. But we haven’t heard from Owen Llewellyn, and I expect to like him more.”

“Agree,” Tom said. “His monologue in class was better. Of course, I don’t know about his singing.”

“Owen’s better, in general,“ Gordon said. “But I guess we’ll see tomorrow.”

The two men gathered up their things and walked together to the door. “Can I drop you somewhere, Tom?” Gordon asked, fishing out his keys as they walked.

“No, thanks,” Tom said, “I just live across the street.”

“Well, how convenient,“ Gordon said, smirking.

“Yes, isn’t it?” Tom agreed. “I have a great little apartment the school found for me, and I’m having so much fun here. Well, see you tomorrow, Gordon. Have a great evening.”

“You, too,” Gordon said, clapping him on the back. “Goodnight, Tom.”

“Goodnight, Gordon,” said Tom.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Actor!Tom
> 
> Rated: M
> 
> romance/smut
> 
> summary: This is the sequel to Fall. Tom’s been cleared, he’s out of jail, and now he just has to win the girl!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, let me know if you like it, and as, always, truly, enjoy!

Spring

Chapter 9

Auditions on Friday went pretty much the way Tom and Gordon had thought they would. Ever-helpful Huw showed up again, to help usher the students trying out, so that an efficient in-and-out flow was maintained, and both Tom and Gordon were quick to thank him, because his help really did keep things moving along smoothly.

Like the previous day, most of the students were there just hoping for a place in the ensemble, to be part of the chorus, but there were a handful of hopefuls trying out for the lead roles. Once again, Tom found himself thinking Gordon had been night, because Owen Llewellyn turned out to be brilliant, and when he had finished and was leaving, Tom turned to Gordon and said, “Yes, he’s Curly,” in a quiet voice.

Once the last try-out was concluded, Tom and Gordon went back to the drama room to finalize the cast. Tom, mindful of his seven o’clock date, and anxious to see Mary after a week apart, kept glancing at his watch, and Gordon couldn’t help but notice. “Am I keeping you from something, Tom?” he finally asked sarcastically.

“No, I’m sorry, Gordon,” Tom said apologetically. “I’m having dinner with my girl at seven. I’ve been busy with this play, and she’s an attorney on a huge case, and she and I haven’t seen each other since Sunday, and I’m… well, I’m tremendously excited…”

Gordon, who was quite a bit older than Tom, laughed. “Ah, young love!” he said. “Is it serious?”

Tom scraped his top teeth over his bottom lip and nodded. “Yes it is. I expect that eventually, I’ll ask her to marry me, but I don’t want to rush or spook her. She ran away from me once, and I followed her here — oh dear, that makes me sound rather like a stalker, and it’s not that way at all…”

Gordon laughed again, louder than before. “Relax, Tom,” he said, his eyes twinkling. ”You don’t seem like the stalker type, and I imagine you could have your pick of girls anyway. But let’s get this cast nailed down, so that you can get to your date on time!”

“Yes, thank you!” Tom said gratefully, looking once again at his audition notes. “And actually, tonight we’re doubling dating, having dinner at Mary’s neighbor’s house with Ceridwen Phillips from English.”

“Ah, dear Ceri. I didn’t know you two were friends?” Gordon said, brows raised.

“Since my first day!” Tom said happily. “Now, if Owen is Curly, do you like Hywel Davies for Will?”

“Yes, that’s a very good choice,“ Gordon agreed, “and who do you like for….?”

By the time they had the entire production cast, it was 6:30, and Tom knew he was going to be late. He sent a text to Mary to tell her.

[Auditions ran late, and I still have to change. I shouldn’t be later than 7:15, but I told Ceri 7:00, and I gave her Edwin’s address, so I maybe should just come straight there, rather than coming to yours. Txox]

[Yes, OK, if that works better. MEx]

[I don’t want Ceri to feel uncomfortable. Txox]

[Of course not! I’ll go over now, so I’ll be there when she arrives. Of course, she doesn’t know either of us. MEx]

[She’s really friendly. You’ll love her. And I love you, Mary! Txox]

[I love you, Tom! MEx]

[Is it OK if I bring gear to spend the weekend? Txox]

[You’d better! I don’t think any of my clothes would fit you… Hmmm, I wonder what you’d look like in my knickers? Ugh, no, Tom, bring your own! I’ll see you soon! MEx]

[What a visual! Right! I’m going now! See you soon! Txox]

It didn’t take Tom long to change into jeans, and just undoing the cuffs of his white dress shirt and rolling up his sleeves completed the look. He grabbed a toothbrush and razor, a couple of changes of underwear and socks, a couple of tee shirts, and stuffed them all in a small case. Making sure he had his keys and wallet, he locked up his apartment for the weekend, then got in his car for the short trip to Mary’s place.

After she got off work, Mary had changed into jeans and a baby-doll top, and was reading a book in front of the telly with a cup of tea, when she got Tom’s text. Glancing at her watch, she saw that it was now 6:40, so she decided to go ahead and go over to Edwin’s, in case Tom’s friend arrived early. What had Tom said her name was? Carrie? He was spelling it funny. Well, Carrie didn’t know either her or Edwin, but Mary figured that meeting both of them together would be better than just showing up on the doorstep of a strange man’s home alone. She made sure she had her keys, but didn’t bother with her purse, since she was just going next door. Five minutes later, she was knocking on Edwin’s door, opening it and stepping in, calling, “Edwin, it’s Mary. I’m here a little early.”

“I’m in the kitchen, of course,” Edwin called, and Mary went to join him.

“I just got a text from Tom,“ she explained. “His auditions ran long, he’s going to be late, and we didn’t want his teacher friend to show up here when you were here by yourself.”

Edwin looked up from the sauce he was stirring. She was amused to see that the apron he was wearing had a screenprint of the Avengers on it, including Loki, and she suddenly realized that she had never told him Tom’s last name! She chuckled a little to herself. Why tell him now? Why not let it be a surprise?

“What’s funny?” he asked, brows raised.

“Oh, I just like your apron,” she said with a cheeky grin.

Edwin returned her smile. “What? You like this?” he asked, pretending to pose. “I like Black Widow. Scarlett Johanson is hot!”

Mary turned around when she heard the doorbell ring. ”That’s probably Tom’s friend Carrie. I’ll go let her in.” She went to open the door. A tiny, red-haired, freckled girl stood on the porch.

“Is Tom here?” she asked breathlessly. “Are you Mary? I’m Ceridwen, I teach English at the high school with Tom.”

Mary smiled, liking her instantly. “Yes, I’m Mary,” she said, stepping to the side so that Ceri could come in. “I’m so glad you could come tonight. Tom’s told me a little about you. I’m afraid he’s running late, he’s not here yet.”

“Auditions!” Ceri said, taking off her coat. “When he told me seven, I thought he was crazy, but hey, what do I know, I’m only an English teacher!”

Mary took her coat and hung it up on a coat rack, then turned back to her. “Ceridwen, that’s so pretty,” she said. “I thought Tom was calling you ‘Carrie,’ like, short for Carolyn.”

“Nah, Ceri, short for Ceridwen,” Ceri said awkwardly. “That was dumb. It’s a Welsh name. Dinner smells good, she said, changing the subject.” And then Ceri laughed.

Mary tipped her head back and laughed as well. “I like the way you did that,” she said. “Come meet Edwin, my neighbor. This is his house. I live next door,” and she poked her thumb in the right direction, “and he’s cooking tonight.”

Ceri followed Mary through to the kitchen. “Ceri, this is Edwin Mason, my friend and neighbor.”

Edwin had his back to them, and when he turned around and Ceri saw him, Mary heard her gasp. Ceri froze for a minute, just looking at him. Mary suddenly felt like she was intruding on something, for Edwin stood frozen as well. Mary bit her lip, cleared her throat, and said “Edwin, this is Tom’s friend Ceridwen. She teaches English over at the high school.”

Mary speaking had broken the spell, whatever it was, and Ceri rushed forward, hand outstretched towards Edwin. “It’s nice to meet you. Thank you so much for letting me crash your dinner party. My boyfriend just broke up with me, and Tom’s a good friend. I appreciate not having to be alone tonight.”

“Hey, the more the merrier,” Edwin said, taking her hand. ”I’m pleased to meet you. Truth be told, Mary just dumped me for Tom, so there you are.” He chuckled ruefully, smirking at himself.

“We weren’t really together,” Mary said, a little exasperated. “Don’t let him kid you! I’m getting the door!” she said, turning around because the doorbell was ringing.

Edwin took off his apron, putting some finishing touches on dinner. “Might as well stay in here with me,” he said, tongue in cheek. “Those two haven’t seen each other for a week. Better give them a minute.”

“I suppose,” Ceri said mischievously. “Can I help you with anything?”

“In a few minutes, you can help me take things through to the dining room,” Edwin said, with a knowing smirk. “But unless you want a show, we should wait a bit.”

Mary opened the door for Tom, and they stood looking at each other for a moment, before Mary launched herself at him. “Oh, god, Tom, I’ve missed you!” she cried.

They hugged each other tightly, then Tom cupped her face in one hand, pulling back so that he could crush her lips with his. He gasped when he felt her tongue push aggressively into his mouth, and the kiss got heated. When Mary broke for air, Tom turned her head in his hands and tucked her face against his neck. ”Mary, darling, clearly we need to try harder to see each other during the week. Only seeing each other on the weekends is turning us into sex-starved fiends!”

“Damn, you’re right,” Mary said, struggling to regain her composure, running her hands up and down his back. “I just miss you so much. I love you, Tom,” she whispered pressing her mouth chastely to his and taking a deep breath.

“I love you, too,” Tom murmured in her ear.

Suddenly, Tom became aware of two faces peeking around a doorway. “Is it safe?“ Ceri said, grinning, and then seeing Tom and Mary move apart, she entered the room with a covered dish in her hand, placing it on the dining table.

“Is this OK, Edwin?” she asked, looking back at him.

But Edwin hadn’t moved. He was still standing, face peeking around the doorway, his mouth open, staring at Tom. “Oh my god,” he said, shocked. “She said Tom. So I knew you were Tom. But I didn’t know you were _Tom.”_

“Edwin, snap out of it!” Mary said, teasingly. ”You sound like a dimwit!”

“But… but, Mary,” Edwin said, gulping. “Don’t you know who this is?”

“You look like a fish, Edwin, dear,“ she said, going to him and pulling him fully into the dining room. “Of course I know who it is! It’s my boyfriend, Tom!”

“Mary,” Edwin hissed, “it’s Tom Hiddleston! The actor! You know, Loki!”

A light blush touched the top of Tom’s cheeks, and he went and took Edwin by the hand, shaking lightly. “She obviously didn’t tell you,” he said, embarrassed “Yes, I’m Tom Hiddleston. I’m very pleased to meet you.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Actor!Tom
> 
> Rated: M
> 
> romance/smut
> 
> summary: This is the sequel to Fall. Tom’s been cleared, he’s out of jail, and now he just has to win the girl!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yeah… I’m having fun with this one, but it’s slowly winding down. Thanks for reading it, let me know if you like it, and, as always, enjoy!

Spring

Chapter 10

Their double-date dinner went well. Edwin was a good cook, and the food was delicious, Mary and Ceri really hit it off, and Tom surprised himself by really liking Edwin. But as far as both Tom and Mary were concerned, the nicest result of the evening was that Edwin and Ceri seemed to have an instant attraction.

“You should have seen them when they first saw each other,” Mary told Tom quietly, as they helped clear away the dishes and put away leftovers. “It was like they were frozen in time. They both just stood there, staring.”

“I like them both,” Tom said quietly. “Now that I’ve met Edwin, I can definitely see them together, Ceri’s sweet, and she’s had a hard time of it, and Edwin seems, I don’t know, gentle.”

“Yes, well, Edwin’s really looking for someone to take care of,” Mary said. “I think that was one of the things that drew me to him when I first got here. I was so raw, emotionally.”

“Ceri could use some taking care of, so it’s perfect,” Tom said with satisfaction.

After dinner, the four of them sat and chatted for a bit in Edwin’s living room. But Tom was yawning again. He was trying to stay awake, but it had been such an exhausting week… His head jerked up; he’d nodded off again.

“Mary,” Edwin said, amused, “I think you should take Tom home and put him to bed.”

“I’m terribly sorry, everyone,” Tom said, embarrassed. “This play is going to keep me hopping. It’s cast, though; I’ll be posting the list on Monday, and then rehearsals will start on Wednesday, and then continue every night after school, and then things will really get crazy!”

“Well, Edwin’s right,” Mary said, rising to her feet. Then, holding out a hand for Tom, she pulled him to his feet as well. “Let’s get you home, Tom.”

“Yes, all right. Sorry to be a wet blanket,” he said to Edwin and Ceri. “But if I stay, I’m just going to end up snoring! I’ll see you Monday at school, Ceri.”

“Yes, of course, Tom,” Ceri said, jumping up and hugging him. He bent down to put his arms around her, and she whispered in his ear, “Thank you so much for inviting me. I really like Edwin!”

Edwin and Mary hugged, and then Mary and Ceri. Tom and Edwin shook hands, and Tom said, “So glad to have finally met you, Edwin.”

“Yes, me, too, Tom,” Edwin said. ”To be honest, I’m a little star struck. I guess you could tell, I’m quite a fan.”

“Edwin, you should have Tom sign your apron!” Mary said. “Tom, Edwin has an Avengers apron.”

“I would be glad to…” Tom began.

But Edwin cut him off. “That would be great, but how about next time? You need to get to bed.”

“Yeah, OK,” Tom said, yawning again, then following Mary to the door, one hand on the small of her back. When they got to the door, Tom looked back over his shoulder at Ceri.

“Are you coming, Ceri?” he asked.

“No,” Ceri said nervously, twisting her hands together. “I’m going to stay on a bit, talking to Edwin. See you Monday, Tom. Have a great weekend.”

Tom raised his eyebrows. “Oh, OK, then,” he said. “Good weekend to you both.” And he and Mary left to walk next door to her house.

Tom and Mary spent this weekend much the way they had the previous one, only this time they were at Mary’s, and so Sunday night after dinner, it was Tom who dressed and began to gather up his things to return to his flat.

“I don’t know how much longer l can do this, Mary,” he said quietly, pulling her close and kissing her hotly. “Maybe we should think about moving in together.”

Mary buried her hands in his hair, and pulled his mouth to hers for another kiss. “Mmm,” she said, nuzzling her nose against his neck. “Except I like my house, and you like your flat.”

“I like being able to walk to work,” Tom admitted. “And with rehearsals coming up, it really will be nice to be so close to the school.”

“But can you see us both living there, Tom?” Mary asked reasonably. “It’s not very big.”

Tom ran a hand through his hair. “You’re right. But this Sunday night stuff is killing me.”

“You and me both,” Mary said, looking at him wistfully.

Reluctantly, Tom eased from her embrace, and picking up his bag, turned towards the door, his shoulders slumped. “I love you, Mary,” he said. “Rehearsals start Wednesday, but I have to see you. I just can’t wait til Friday again. Can l just come over as soon I can on Wednesday, after rehearsal? I don’t care what we do, you don’t have to entertain me or anything. I just can’t spend another week where I don’t get to see you.”

“Yes, of course, all right, Tom,” Mary said, hugging herself. “I’ll just keep some dinner for you, and you can reheat it and eat it when you get here.” She threw her arms around him again. ”Oh, it’s so hard to let you go!” she said, kissing him gently.

“It’s only gonna get worse,” he said, then giving her one last kiss, he gently closed the door and went home.

When Tom got to work Monday morning, he posted the cast list. Now that it was official, he sent a text to Mary to tell her that Bronwen Andrews had got the part of Laurie. He figured she would want to know, as she was friends with Margedd, Bronwen’s mother.

[I already know! Bronwen texted Margedd right away. The office is all a-buzz! MEx]

[Oh, good! It’s a great cast! And, I love you! Txox]

[I love you, too, Tom. Ach, I’m late for court! Can’t wait til Wednesday! MEx]

[Wednesday! Txox]

Wednesday night was the first rehearsal, and Tom was ready. He and Gordon had come up with a scene schedule, so that not every student had to be at every rehearsal, but for this first one, the entire cast and crew were required to be there, so that Tom and Gordon could go over expectations and explain the process. Before they wrapped for the evening, they rehearsed some of the total ensemble scenes, and Tom was once again impressed by the scope of talent he was working with.

Ceridwen had volunteered to help out as dialog coach, and also to help with costumes. Tom hadn’t had a chance to really spend any time with her since Friday night, and now, he plopped down into the seat next to hers and looked her up and down. She was full of energy, almost vibrating out of her skin, and Tom thought she looked happier than he’d ever seen her look.

“Sooo…” he said, lips quirked, fighting a smile, “how are you Ceri? I haven’t really had a chance to talk to you since dinner on Friday. Things going well? Anything new? “

Ceri looked down, blushing. “Oh you know …” she said, biting her lip. ”Same old same old…”

Tom smirked. “Seen anything of Edwin since Friday night, hmmm?” he said teasingly.

“Um, maybe, every night?” Ceri squeaked. She took a deep breath, then looked Tom in the eye. “OK, so we really, clicked, you know? It’s like we’ve known each other for years. We just spend hours and hours talking to each other, and neither one of us is even remotely bored yet. That just never happens to me! So, I’m really excited. Thanks again, to both you and Mary, for bringing us together. Be sure to tell her the next time you see her, will you, please?”

“Of course,” Tom said happily. “That will be tonight. I’ll let her know!”

The rest of the rehearsal went smoothly, with the exception of an incident that didn’t exactly surprise Tom, but definitely disturbed him. He had voiced his concerns about Bronwen to both Mary and Gordon, and he was on his guard, careful to make sure he was never anywhere alone on his own. But after the rehearsal, he thought everyone was gone, so he was doing some last-minute tweaking to the schedule, trying to hurry so that he could run home, change, and be on his way to Mary’s. Normally, when he was in the drama room after hours by himself, he locked the door, but this day, because he was so excited about how well it had gone, and anxious to be done so he could get to Mary’s, he forgot, and the door was actually standing ajar.

When the door latch clicked, he looked up, startled to see Bronwen standing with her back against the closed door. She began walking towards him slowly, and for a split second, she reminded him of a jungle cat stalking her prey. He swallowed hard and stood, putting his desk between him and her, and raising one hand, palm out, towards her.

“Miss Andrews,” he said gently, “you can’t be in here right now. It’s time to go home. I’m just on my way out myself. You need to gather your things and go.”

“I just wanted to thank you, Mr. Hiddleston,” Bronwen said, stopping and clasping her hands together. “Thank you for casting me as Laurie, and I’m really looking forward to working with both you and Mr. Frazier.”

“Well, you’re welcome, Miss Andrews,” Tom said, breathing a little easier. “You earned the role, your audition was quite good. Please continue to work hard, and l think this has the potential of being a stellar production.”

Tom felt really uncomfortable about the look she was giving him, and he sighed in relief when she said, “Goodnight sir, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Yes, alright, Miss Andrews,” he said “See you tomorrow.”

And giving him one last look over her shoulder, she left the room and closed the door behind her. Tom practically ran across the room and threw the lock on the door, before falling into a chair, gasping a little. He would have to start being a lot more careful. He gathered up his things, got his coat, and biting his lip and letting out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding, he made his way home to get ready to go to Mary’s.

Once he got to his flat, he changed into his usual jeans, and pulled on his favorite ratty tee shirt and his beat-up old cowboy boots. He wanted the comfort of the old, familiar clothing after the frightening incident with Bronwen. He got in his car and drove to Mary’s, falling into her arms as soon as she opened the door.

“Tom, you’re trembling,” Mary said, frowning, brushing her hand through his hair soothingly. “What’s wrong?”

“I had a female student almost corner me in my office,” he said shakily. “Fortunately, she didn’t argue with me when I told her to leave, but it could have been so much worse.”

“I told you to be careful,” Mary said, pursing her lips, and leading him by the hand to the couch.

“I know, and I have been,” he said, dropping to the couch and leaning his head against the back, eyes closed. “I just forgot to lock my office door tonight. I’m going to be extra careful after this, you can be sure.” He opened his eyes and looked at her, finally relaxing enough to let his love show on his face.

Smirking a little, he said, “I’m starved? What’s for dinner?”


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Actor!Tom
> 
> Rated: M
> 
> romance/smut
> 
> summary: This is the sequel to Fall. Tom’s been cleared, he’s out of jail, and now he just has to win the girl!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I started this, I thought it would be short, but I’m having too much fun with Tom being a teacher. I hope you are enjoying it, too. Thanks for reading!

Spring

Chapter 11

The rest of the week was intense, for both Tom and Mary. Mary’s trial was heating up, with no real end in sight, evidence after evidence against her client, but it was mostly circumstantial, and she had yet to present her case, and she still felt optimistic.

For Tom, rehearsals were going well, but were keeping him busy. The cast were, without exception, a dedicated bunch of young people, working well with each other, eager to please. It was not uncommon to find groups of two or three students standing about, helping each other learn lines in their off-stage time, and Tom was impressed any time he happened across it.

Gordon couldn’t help noting how genuinely moved Tom was. “This is all because of you, you know,” he said quietly to Tom. “You truly inspire these kids. I’ve never seen such trust, such respect and admiration. They are totally devoted to you. I think they’d do anything to please you, just because that’s what they want: to please you. I’ve honestly never seen anything like it in my life. Old Chambers never inspired them this way. You, sir, are a natural. When you decide to give up acting, I hope you’ll truly give a thought to a second career as a teacher.”

“How do you know I’m not done with acting?” Tom said, looking at him curiously.

Gordon gave him an asking look. “Oh, come on, Tom,” he said. “I can tell you love this, and it’s been therapeutic, healing, for you. But when school’s out for summer, you’ll be gone. We both know there are a lot more roles inside of you that need to come out.”

Tom looked at Gordon, his eyes moist. ”Thanks, man,” he said softly, giving Gordon a one-armed sideways hug, and Gordon hugged him back, and then they both went back to working their part of the rehearsal.

On Friday, during his morning break, Tom called his agent, for the first time in almost a year. “Hey, I’m almost ready to come back, so I wanted to give you a head’s up,“ he said. “Right now I’m teaching high school drama in Wales, but as soon as school is out in June, I’m done here, as it’s just a substitute’s position. So if you want to try to find me a role for late summer, I’ll be ready.”

And at lunch time, he took his food back to his office, locked the door, took a deep breath, and called Luke.

“Tom.” Luke’s voice was so quiet.

“Hey, Luke,” Tom said, almost contritely. “How are you?”

“I’m great, Tom,” Luke said, and Tom could just imagine the expression on his face. “The question is, how are you?”

“I’m actually really, really good, Luke,” Tom said earnestly. “That’s why I’m calling now. I wanted to let you know that I’ve called my agent to tell him I’ll be ready to come back towards the end of summer.”

“Where are you, Tom?” Luke asked, still speaking quietly, and Tom knew that his friend was still upset with him.

“I’m in Wales, Luke,” Tom told him.

“Wales? What are you doing in Wales?” Luke asked, a bit louder now.

Tom ran his hand through his hair. “Well, I don’t think you’d believe me if I told you…”

“Tom,” Luke warned.

Fine, might as well tell him, Tom thought; he wasn’t ashamed of it, quite the opposite, in fact. “I’m teaching high school drama,” he said proudly.

Finally, that had got a rise out of Luke. “Teaching? High school? You, Tom?” Luke said incredulously. “Whatever makes you think you’re qualified for that?”

“I’m doing quite well, thank you very much,” Tom said crisply. “My school is doing Oklahoma! for the spring musical. It’s going to be a top-notch production.”

“Well,” Luke said, calming down a little. “How can you teach and act at the same time? Location shooting for Thor 3 starts this fall…”

“Oh, unfortunately, my position here is only temporary,” Tom said regretfully. ”I’m just a long-term substitute, filling in for the regular teacher, who had a medical emergency. My contract is over at the end of this school year.”

“Oh, OK then,” Luke said, relieved. “I have to say, you do sound good. Happy, rested. I don’t know… healed. I can hear that you’re under a little pressure, but it sounds like the good kind.”

“Rehearsals!” Tom said. “I‘ve got a little over two months to get this production ready for performance!”

Luke chuckled. ”And, Tom is back!” he said. “You sound like a little kid. Back to normal!”

“Yes, this has been so good for me, Luke,” Tom said seriously. “The accident, prison, my… my rape,” Tom winced when he said it, “and Mary… Well, teaching has been very rewarding. I love it, Luke!”

“Good, Tom, I’m glad,” Luke said. “But, I have to wonder: why Wales? What made you think to go there?”

Tom bit his lip. “Uh, um, well, I, uh, I followed Mary here,” he confessed.

“Mary, I should have known,” Luke said.

“She’s working as a public defender here,” Tom said. “I found out she was here, and was lucky enough to get the drama teacher position…”

“And are you together, then, Tom?” Luke asked. “I’ll need to know.”

“Yes, we are,” Tom said confidently. “We’re together, and I’m going to ask her to marry me. I haven’t done it yet, but I have every reassurance that she’s going to say yes, so, when we go public, after I come back, it will be with the announcement of Mary as my fiancée.”

“Congratulations, Tom, or I guess, not yet,” Luke said, his mind already working on the press release he wanted to compose. “I’ll start working on things from my end.”

“Thanks, man,” Tom said. “Hey, my lunch period is almost over, and I have a class to teach. I’ll stay in touch. I love you, man.”

“Thanks, Tom. Love ya, too. Send me a couple of tickets to your play; maybe I can get over there to see it.”

“I can do that, Luke!” Tom said happily. “Bye, now!”

“Goodbye, Tom!” Luke said.

After school, Tom went to rehearsal, of course. It was going so well, other than a couple of minor skirmishes between Hywel and Owen. Hywel was glad to be cast in the part of Will, but he had wanted to play Curly, and when Owen did something that Hywel disagreed with, he, Hywel, was vocal about it.

After overhearing several such arguments, Tom had finally had it. “Mr. Davies, what seems to be the problem?” he asked, neither his face nor voice giving away his irritation.

Hywel had a disgusted look on his face. “He’s not saying it right,” he said sullenly.

“Did Miss Phillips ask you to say something to him about that?” Tom asked patiently. Ceri was helping with the dialog, but Tom knew she hadn’t said anything to either Hywel or Owen.

“Well, no,” Hywel said. “She hasn’t said anything, but… “

“Well, I haven’t said anything, either,” Tom said evenly. “So, if the dialogue coach hasn’t said anything, and the director hasn’t said anything, I think it’s safe to say that you probably shouldn’t say anything, either, hmmm? If Miss Phillips or I have a problem with Mr. Llewellyn’s delivery, we will work with him on it directly, alright?”

Hywel looked down. ”Yes Mr. Hiddleston,” he said quietly.

“Thank you, Mr. Davies,” Tom said kindly. “OK, back to work, everyone!”

As usual, Tom was exhausted after rehearsal was over. It was already eight o’clock, and he was so glad that it was finally Friday, and the weekend, that he actually ran home to dress and pack. Of course, he would be spending the weekend with Mary, at her place, and he was going to ask her to marry him, before he had to go back home on Sunday night. He wasn’t sure when, he was going to play that by ear, but he knew how, and he was so excited. He knew it would be hard to wait, but as he wanted everything to be perfect, he was already reining himself in.

He didn’t have to pack much, as he had decided to just leave all the things he’d taken last week at Mary’s. He’d felt guilty about her having to wash his dirty shirts, underwear, and socks, but she had assured him that that was just plain silly, as there wasn’t a lot, anyway, and it wouldn’t be any extra work to just throw his few things in with hers. Her cheeks had been slightly pink as she’d said it, and he’d turned away to hide a smirk, but all week, the thought of her washing and folding his things along with hers, especially his boxers, was strangely erotic and somehow, comforting. He held the thought close to his heart, bringing it out at night, when he was finally alone, just before he went to sleep.

So, he took just a single change of underwear, socks, and tee shirt, since he’d worn a set home last week, packed into a small shoulder bag. Toothbrush and razor had been left at Mary’s, so, after quickly changing, he was on his way.

When he got there, Mary was sitting on her porch, waiting for him, and as he pulled up and parked, she stood and ran to meet him, a sweet smile on her face. “Tom!” she cried, throwing her arms around his neck. He dropped his bag to the pavement, tightening his arms around her, pulling her off her feet and whirling her around.

“Tom,” she said, breathless, laughing, “put me down, before the neighbors see!”

“What neighbors?” Tom said, setting her down and kissing her soundly. “It’s just Edwin! And, if I’m not mistaken, Ceri? I’m pretty sure that’s her car. “

“Yes, it is,” Mary agreed, smirking. “She’s been here every night since last Friday. She always goes home around ten, at least, she did until last night.” Many waggled her eyebrows up and down. “Last night, well, put it this way: her car was here this morning when l got up.”

Tom grinned. “She told me that she felt like she’d known him forever.”

“He said the same thing to me,” Mary said. “I’m so glad, Tom. I felt so guilty…”

“For choosing me?” Tom asked, pulling her in for another kiss. He rubbed his lips back and forth across hers, until she gasped, then taking advantage of her open mouth, he sealed his lips over hers, exploring her mouth with his tongue. When she sucked gently on his tongue, he moaned low in his throat, reluctantly breaking the kiss and pushing her away a little.

“NOW, we need to go inside,” he murmured in her ear. “Before I get too carried away.”

Arms around each other’s waists, they turned and went inside the house.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Actor!Tom
> 
> Rated: M
> 
> romance/smut
> 
> summary: This is the sequel to Fall. Tom’s been cleared, he’s out of jail, and now he just has to win the girl!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had fun writing this. Gosh, it’s corny, but so, sometimes, is Tom….
> 
> Let me know if you like it. Thanks so much for reading it. And, as always, enjoy!

Spring

Chapter 12

Mary had already called out for pizza, and the delivery truck arrived soon after Tom did. Tom was tired, and hungry, and the gesture of pizza just seemed so comforting and thoughtful, that he sat on the couch and wept. Mary sat next to him, her arm around his shoulder, her hand in his hair, and pulled his head down to rest on her shoulder, and just let him cry it out. After a few minutes, he sat up, wiped his face with his palms, and looked at her gratefully. 

“Thank you for understanding,” he said, wiping his palms on his jeans, and then cupping Mary’s face in his hands, he kissed her gently. “When I get over-tired and over-emotional, I just need to vent this way.”

“I know that,” Mary said, smirking just a little. “I could tell you just needed the release. Are you hungry?”

“Starved!” Tom said gratefully. “Thank you!”

“Well, let’s eat, then.” Mary went into the kitchen and brought back a couple of paper towels. “Let’s just bach it tonight. If we don’t get any dishes dirty, we won’t have to wash up!”

“I like the way you think,” Tom said, grinning. He helped himself to a slice of pizza, tucking in. “Pepperoni! My favorite.”

Mary took some, too, and for a while the only sounds were those of them eating. Finally, Tom wiped his mouth on the paper towel, and slumped back against the couch.

“I’m so tired, Mary,” he murmured, eyes closed and head back. Mary reached out and brushed his hair off his forehead. “Mmmm, that feels nice,” he said, not opening his eyes.

“Poor Tom,” Mary said softly, continuing to stroke his hair, and he leaned into her hand. But when she heard him let out a soft snore, Mary chuckled quietly, and pulled an afghan over him. She put the rest of the pizza in the fridge, then got a book to read, and came back to sit next to him. She watched him as he slept, loving him, feeling so grateful that he had cared enough about her to come and find her.

Tom gradually came awake, blinking. It took him a moment or two to figure out where he was: sitting slumped sideways on Mary’s couch with his arm around her, and her nestled into the crook of his arm, also asleep. He glanced at his watch; it was 10:15. He pulled Mary closer for a minute, dropping a light kiss in her hair, being careful not to wake her. Gently, slowly, he eased himself out from underneath her, and went to use the bathroom. When he came back, he stood, looking at her, his heart filled with love for her.

Tom wanted to ask her to marry him. He was practically vibrating with it. And he had prepared something special. He knew it was really silly, and maybe a little tacky, but their relationship hadn’t begun conventionally, and what he had planned just felt right, so he’d carried on with it.

Earlier that week, at school, the cast had been rehearsing what Tom felt was the most romantic song of the play, the reprise of “People Will Say We’re In Love.“ He had been recording scenes as they rehearsed them, then watching the play backs, taking notes so that he could make directional changes the next time they ran those scenes. He was so struck by this particular run-through, that it gave him an idea, and when he’d told the cast and crew what he was thinking, they had all embraced it whole heartedly, and had agreed to help him with his plan.

So now, while Mary was dozing on the couch, Tom took advantage of the situation, and used the time to set up his plan. He took a DVD out of his bag and loaded it into her player, ready for when she would wake up, or as soon as it could work out, since he wasn’t sure if it would be able to be tonight. Because he knew he didn’t want to wait; he wanted to ask her as soon as possible.

With everything set up, he went and sat back down next to her on the couch, taking a lock of hair that had fallen across her face, and tucking it behind her ear. She stirred, and her eyes opened. “Tom,” she said, smiling. “What time is it?”

“About 10:30,” Tom said, grinning at her. His expression slowly shifted until he was giving her the puppy eyes look. “Do you have anything for pudding?” he asked.

She yawned, stretching, and stood up. “I have ice cream,” she said, walking into the kitchen. She came back in a few minutes, two large bowls of ice cream and spoons in her hands. She sat back down next to him, pulling her legs up under her and snuggling next to him.

Tom bent over and kissed her brow. “How about a film while we eat?” he said, not quite meeting her eyes.

“Sure, Tom,” Mary said, putting her bowl on the coffee table and beginning to rise.

Tom reached out to stop her, handing her back her bowl and holding up the remote. “I already put a DVD in the player,” he said, as he turned on the television and started the disc.

“I thought you might like to see some video from some of the rehearsals,” he said, an odd note in his voice, and Mary totally missed the little bit of pink across the top his cheeks, as her focus was on the telly.

The video started off with Owen as Curly, singing about what a wonderful morning it was (Oh, What A Beautiful Morning!).

“Oh, Tom, he’s really good,” she said delightedly, turning to look at Tom, whose eyes were focused on the screen.

“He is, isn’t he?” Tom said, pursing his lips and nodding. ”He has a quite good singing voice, his acting is expressive and confident, and he’s a handsome lad.”

“Yes, he certainly is!” Mary said enthusiastically. She turned from the screen to look at Tom. ”Thank you for sharing this with me, it’s quite brilliant!“ She turned back to the telIy, as the scene shifted to Owen and Bronwen singing about a particular wagon that he would like to take her out in (The Surrey With The Fringe On Top).

“That’s Bronwen, your friend’s daughter,” Tom said, tipping his head towards the screen.

“Oh she’s lovely,” Mary said, delighted. “She also has a wonderful voice.”

“Yes, she does,” Tom agreed, and ran his hand over his hair. He took a deep breath, trying not to fidget. He was beginning to think this had been a bad idea; it was taking too long, and he was getting more and more nervous and impatient. He forced himself to relax, drawing a deep breath and holding it for a moment, before slowly letting it out as quietly as possible.

The next scene was with Hywel Davis as Will, and Owen and several others, as Will returns from a trip to the big city (Kansas City). But the girl Will loves, Ado Annie, who was being played by Kate Merrydd, had been spending time with another boy while Will was away, and Laurie tells her she’ll need to decide between the two of them (I Cain’t Say No).

Next, there was a scene where Laurie sees Curly flirting with another girl, and she sings about there being lots of other boys to choose from (Many A New Day), and then the next scene was the first time that Laurie and Curly sing the flirty song that Tom enjoyed so (People Will Say We’re In Love).

“Oh, they’re going to be so good, aren’t they?” Mary said, looking at Tom.

“Yes, considering how good they already are, and how early we still are in the whole production process,“ Tom said, blushing even redder, wondering how Mary wasn’t seeing it. “The next scene is the best,” he said. “Huw Evans as Judd. He’s easily the most talented of the group.”

And Huw and Owen sang about how their neighbors would feel if Judd were gone (Poor Judd Is Dead).

“There are a couple of more musical numbers in here, and, of course, the whole dream dance sequence,” Tom said quickly, as there was a pause in the video. “The dancers are still working very hard with the Sports coach, and haven’t actually been on stage yet.”

“Is it over, Tom?” Mary asked, glancing over at him, since there was such a large lull in the video.

Tom took her hand in one of his, cupping her face with the other. “No, not quite,” he said softly. “There’s one more scene.” He brushed his thumb over her lips, then replaced it with his mouth, kissing her gently before turning her face back towards the screen. “Just watch,” he said quietly.

The scene began with Owen and Bronwen doing the reprise of “People Will Say We’re In Love,” where they’ve admitted it to each other, and the words in the song have been changed to imply that they don’t care if everyone knows. As the song was drawing to a close, Tom slipped off the couch and sat on the floor. In the video, the young couple stopped singing and dragged Tom up onto the stage. The entire cast surrounded him, and started chanting, “Sing, sing!”

In Mary’s living room, Tom turned around and went to his knees, and took both of her hands in his. And on the screen, in the video, he started to sing, as all the students danced around, and sang with him.

Cause it’s a beautiful night,  
We’re looking for something dumb to do  
Hey baby  
I think I wanna marry you.

Is it the look in your eyes?  
Or is it this dancing shoes?  
Who cares baby,  
I think I wanna marry you.

Just say I do,  
Tell me right now baby,  
Tell me right now baby, baby  
Just say I do  
Tell me right now baby,  
Tell me right now baby, baby

Oh it’s a beautiful night  
We’re looking for something dumb to do  
Hey baby  
I think I wanna marry you

Is it the look in your eyes?  
Or is it this dancing shoes?  
Who cares baby  
I think I wanna marry you

"Marry You" is track #6 on the album Doo - Wops & Hooligans. It was written by Mars, Bruno / Lawrence, Philip / Levine, Ari.

Tom on the screen finished singing, and Tom on the floor at Mary’s feet looked up at her, a hopeful look in his eyes, “Well?” he asked. “Will you?”

Mary thought it was a little odd when Tom dropped down to sit on the floor, but she was so absorbed in the video, and at the back of her mind, she thought maybe his back was bothering him. When the students pulled Tom up onto the stage in the video, and he started singing, she put both hands over her mouth, and tears sprang to her eyes, and she looked at Tom on his knees at her feet. “Oh, Tom,” she whispered from behind her hands. He pulled them away from her mouth, holding them in his, and he began to quietly sing along with the video, looking up into her eyes. Mary bit her lip. “I love you, Tom,” her mouth formed the words, but no sound came out.

As the song finished, and he asked, “Well? Will You?”, Mary scooted down to the floor, threw her arms about his neck, hugged him tight, and said, ”Yes, Tom! Yes! Of course I will”

And then she kissed him.

*** OK, the inspiration for Tom’s proposal is this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_v7QrIW0zY, a real thing that actually happened in my town. Enjoy it as well!


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Actor!Tom
> 
> Rated: M
> 
> romance/smut
> 
> summary: This is the sequel to Fall. Tom’s been cleared, he’s out of jail, and now he just has to win the girl!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m pretty sure this is the most romantic thing I’ve written. Thanks for reading; I hope you enjoy it!

Spring

Chapter 13

Tom cupped Mary’s face in his hands, looking deeply into her eyes. “I want to take everything else, the rest of this night, so very slowly, so that, someday, if I’m unhappy, or tired, or lonely for you, I will always have the memories of this night to cherish forever.”

Mary watched him, her lips parted, breathing slowly, heavily. She was fairly certain she couldn’t have spoken even if she had wanted to, but she found that she didn’t want to; Tom’s words, and the look in his eyes, the touch of his hands, were all weaving a spell.

“I want to remember the way you look,” he said quietly, intimately, “the sound of your breathing, the feel of your skin, the texture of your hair,” he closed his eyes briefly, inhaling, “the scent of you, the taste of you, the way you look at me, and the way you feel in my arms.”

He kissed her slowly, his tongue just barely brushing over her lips, and when she opened for him, he explored her mouth slowly, almost shyly, one hand cupping the back of her head, the other stroking over her cheek, her brow, running through her hair. He broke the kiss and pulled slightly back to look at her once more.

“I want to make love to you, I want to make you feel everything I feel, for you, for us, for our future, our lives together. And, now, no more words,” he said, his voice so quiet, so low, so seductive, that Mary felt it in her chest, in her stomach, and in her core. She made a small, incoherent sound, still unable to speak, feeling totally mesmerized by his words and the look in his eyes.

She saw his eyes close as his slowly lowered his lips then. Once again, he kissed her slowly, his tongue gently exploring. He ghosted his lips across her cheeks, her forehead, the bridge and down the tip of her nose. When he brushed his mouth over her ear and the sensitive skin behind it, she couldn’t help letting out a quiet little moan. Tom continued kissing down her neck and throat, gently sucking at the skin, and somewhere in the very last part of her conscious mind, she was grateful that he wasn’t leaving any marks that she would have to hide for court.

She tipped her head back to give him better access, then sucked in a breath when she felt his tongue, licking back up towards her ear, and then he kissed her again, a little more forcefully, more passionately, and she tightened her arms around him convulsively, and she suddenly wondered how she had ever imagined that she’d be able to live without him.

He took her by the shoulders, gently creating a little space between them. His eyes glittered as he looked at her, and her breath hitched at the look on his face and in his eyes: love; mixed with lust, wonder, and gratitude. “Oh Tom,” she said quietly on a sigh.

The tiniest hint of a smile touched his mouth, as he reached for the hem of her tee shirt, slowly peeling it over her head and letting it drop to the floor. “You’re so beautiful,” he breathed.

Looking into his eyes, she reached behind her, unclasping her bra and letting it drop, and he sucked in a breath. One corner of her mouth quirked up, and she slowly ran her hands up under his tee shirt, taking it with her until, with a tug, she pulled it off and it joined the rest of their discarded clothing on the floor.

Silently, he cupped one of her breasts in his hand, gently strumming the nipple with his thumb. She ran her palms slowly up his chest, stroking them lightly over his nipples, and he bit his lip. She continuing brushing her hands over his shoulders, until, with a soft cry, she pulled him to her, and she licked up the column of his throat to his ear, tugging on him until he bent down enough that she could run her tongue over the back of his neck just at the hairline.

He wrapped both arms around her and held her tightly to him, his face pressing against the side of her neck. “Please don’t ever leave me again,” he said, almost a whisper. He lifted her off her feet, and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he started carrying her towards her bedroom.

He set her down on her feet, and she kicked off her slippers. Tom reached for the fastening of her jeans, undoing them and slowly pulling them, together with her underwear, down her legs, never breaking eye contact. He helped her step out of them, and then stood, while she bent, talking off his shoes and socks, and helping him out of his own jeans and boxers.

He stood before her, proud yet humble, his cock erect, jutting in front of him. He held his arms outstretched, looked her tenderly in the eye, and said, “Mary, come to me.”

With a wordless cry, she flew to him, throwing her arms around him, reveling in the touch of their skin on skin contact. He buried his face in her hair, breathing in her scent, before crushing his mouth to hers. His cock twitched against her stomach, and she reached one hand between them, stepping back to create enough space to be able to stroke her fingertips slowly up and down it, and he leaned into her hand, moaning quietly.

He bucked against her hand a few times, then guiding her to the bed, he pushed down lightly on her shoulders, and she sat on the edge. He knelt on the floor at her feet, looking up into her eyes, and gently parted her thighs. He gently ran his hands over her feet, brushing up her calves to her knees, then, with a whispered, “lie back,” he continued, brushing his hands up the inside of her thighs til he reached her core.

He lightly brushed just his fingertips over her outer folds, before gently parting her, and then he bent forward and licked up her slit from bottom to top, and her ass jerked up off of the bed in reaction, and she moaned out his name. He continued to probe her with his tongue, the only sounds in the room his soft sucking and licking noises, and Mary felt herself slowly spiraling closer to climax, as he gently tongued her sensitive clit. When he inserted two fingers, finding her g-spot, and gently sucking on her clit, her orgasm claimed her, and she came, screaming his name and clutching handfuls of his hair. He continued to stroke and lick at her, prolonging her pleasure, until it became too much, and she gently tugged at his hair and he slowed and stilled.

He rested his head in her lap, his arms around her hips, until she raised up enough to look at him, brushing his hair back, and he looked up at her, smiling gently, his mouth and chin glistening with her juices, and he slowly wiped at his face with his hand.

She sat up, hugging him about the shoulders, and putting her mouth next to his ear, whispered, “Come make love to me. I want to feel you buried inside of me. I want you so deep in me that we can’t tell where you end and I begin.” And she kissed him, tasting herself on him, drinking him as if he were living sustenance necessary for her to survive.

When their kiss broke, she moved up the bed, and he rose and joined her, lying on his back and opening his arms to her, and she lay atop him, hugging him briefly, before rising to her knees to straddle him, raising up enough to grasp his cock and guide it to her entrance. With a pleasured sigh, she impaled herself on him, pausing for a moment to just savor the feeling of having him deep inside her, before she began moving up and down his hard length, consciously tightening her muscles around him, which caused him to cry out and buck against her.

She ran her hands over his chest, stroking him softly, brushing her palms over his nipples. “I’m so… close…” he moaned. “Don’t stop, Mary.”

“Never, my love,” she said, bending over to run her tongue up the side of his neck to his ear.

“But… I don’t want… to leave you… hanging…” he gasped out. “Mary, are you…?”

“Don’t worry, my Tom,” she said, “I’m right with you,” and she picked up the pace, grinding against him. “But do you think you could give me your fingers?” Mary sat back up, creating space between them, and Tom took a deep breath and brought his hand to where they were joined, finding her clit and pressing against it, and with a keening cry, she came hard around him, her walls contracting, squeezing his cock, setting him off, and he groaned as he reached completion, shooting up into her, almost blacking out with the intensity of it. Mary bent over, burying her face in the crook of his neck, her legs bent with knees still straddling him, and as he slowly softened and slipped out of her, she rolled off of him, tucking herself into his side, and he put his arm around her, cuddling her to him.

He kissed her forehead and said, “I got you something. Let me get up and get it.”

“No, Tom, don’t leave me,” she protested, and he chuckled, kissed her again, and said, “I just need to get into the pocket of my jeans.”

He returned right away with a small box. “This isn’t a real ring,” he said, “because I didn’t know what you’d like, but I wanted to get you something, because I want everyone to know that you’ve honored me by agreeing to become my wife.”

He handed the box to her, and she opened it and found a gorgeous ring with a large center stone, set in gold, surrounded by diamonds. “It’s my birthstone,” she said, delighted.

“I know,” Tom said, grinning softly. “I thought you could wear it on your other hand, if you want, after we get you a real engagement ring.”

“I think it’s perfect,” she said, taking it out of the box and holding it out to him. “Will you put it on me, please?”

Looking into her eyes, smiling wide at her, tongue poking between his teeth, he took her left hand in his, and slipped the ring on her finger, then kissed it gently. “I love you,” Tom said.

“I love you back!” said Mary.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Actor!Tom
> 
> Rated: M
> 
> romance/smut
> 
> summary: This is the sequel to Fall. Tom’s been cleared, he’s out of jail, and now he just has to win the girl!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter, some disturbing things. Extra warnings for sexual assault and physical violence/beating. Sorry, everybody.
> 
> Thank you for reading, and let me know if you like it.

Spring

Chapter 14

Tom couldn’t believe that time had passed so quickly. There was now less than a week before the play, and he had to admit, he was a little nervous. He wasn’t sure if the dancers for the dream sequence were really ready, and he was concerned about Kate’s performance as Ado Annie. The young woman had seemed incredibly distracted lately, and Tom wasn’t sure how to help her. They’d held extra rehearsals, and while she wasn’t the only student who had needed it, she was one of the few who wasn’t seeming to benefit from it as much as he’d hoped. He’d spoken to Gordon about it, and while Gordon agreed that something did seem to be bothering her, he also felt at a loss as to what exactly they could do about it. Tom took it to Ceridwen after Gordon could offer no suggestions, and Ceri agreed to speak to her.

Ceri was a different person from the one she’d been when she and Tom met, but totally in a good way. She was even more vivacious, more enthusiastic, with seemingly inexhaustible energy. She had moved in with Edwin a month after they had met, and as of last weekend, had been sporting a rather large diamond solitaire on the third finger of her left hand. Tom and Mary were not-so-secretly delighted, and claimed responsibility for bringing the other couple together. The four of them had had dinner together shortly after Ceri and Edwin became engaged, and Tom had laughingly sighed Edwin’s Avengers apron, and a delightful evening was enjoyed by both engaged couples.

Mary had won her murder case, her client had been acquitted, and this had brought her much recognition with her superiors, which had resulted in her being assigned to more and more high-profile cases. She really enjoyed the work — the feeling of being able to really help people, and she was also grateful for the notoriety she was receiving. But it also meant she was busier than ever, and with the play coming up, she and Tom didn’t see each other nearly as much as they wanted to.

And Tom had run rehearsals. Lots of rehearsals, and as the dates of performance grew closer, the rehearsals got more intense, and became longer. And tonight, at what everyone was calling the ‘pre-dress’ dress rehearsal, all cast and crew were supposed to be there for a complete run-through, which included all the actors, musicians, dancers, and crew. They were going to run the entire play.

Currently they were on intermission, except that this night, Tom had specified a break twice as long as the real intermission; he was worried about some of the performers, and really felt that they needed a full 30 minutes of down time, so that was what they would get tonight. A couple of the orchestra members were still in the pit, rehearsing a particularly sticky passage, but basically Tom was alone in the auditorium, sitting in the front row and absently listening to the trumpet and the trombone trying to make the song work.

He was mostly zoned out, not really paying much attention to anything. Like the performers, he needed this break, and he was trying to use the opportunity afforded him to recharge and reinvigorate himself for the second half. He had sent Mary a text to tell her he loved her, and then had sprawled in a seat, closing his eyes and taking deep breaths, trying to refocus.

It was while he was sitting there, not thinking of anything in particular, that Kate Merrydd rushed into the auditorium, shrieking and wringing her hands. “Mr. Hiddleston, you have to come quickly. Huw was getting something off of a shelf in the prop room, and he’s fallen, and he’s broken his leg or something…” The girl seemed almost hysterical.

“Oh, no,” groaned Tom, running a hand through his hair, pulling himself back together, and, rising to his feet, he put his hands lightly on Kate’s shoulders. “Calm down,” Miss Merrydd,” he said soothingly. “It will be all right. Can you take me to him?”

Kate nodded. “Yes, Mr. Hiddleston,” she said breathlessly, then turned and left the auditorium, and Tom followed.

The prop room was tucked into the back stage area, in an industrial part of the school building. They had to pass through ductwork, pipes, and wires, and some of the working parts of the stage itself, to reach it. Once they did, Tom rushed in through the open door, looking around worriedly, trying not to panic. He looked back at Kate, to see her standing with her back to the now-closed door.

“Well, Miss Merrydd, where is Mr. Evans?” he asked, a little frown between his brows.

“I’m sure he’s on stage by now, Mr. Hiddleston,” Kate said quietly. “I just said he was hurt because I know he’s your favorite. I knew you would have to have some reasonable excuse to come with me, because we can’t let anyone know we’re together yet.”

Tom had a blank look on his face when he asked, “I’m sorry, Miss Merrydd, but what are you talking about?”

”Us, Tom,” Kate said, as if speaking to a small child, “I can call you Tom, now, can’t I?” she began walking slowly towards him. “You don’t need to be shy anymore,” she continued, placing her hand flat on his chest. “I’ve seen the way you look at me, during those extra rehearsals.”

It was true that they’d had extra rehearsals, several of the students had needed extra help with certain aspects of their parts, Kate included. But Tom was very much afraid that she had misunderstood his intentions, and he took her gently by the shoulders and moved her away from him, and said in a calm voice, “Miss Merrydd, I’m afraid you misunderstood my actions. You are my student, and I am your teacher. As such, it is my responsibility to give you the best of my efforts, to help you succeed and become the best you can be. You weren’t the only student who was at the extra rehearsals.”

Kate pouted now, and once again moved towards him, trying to put her arms around him “But Tom,” she whined, “I love you. We’re obviously meant to be together.”

Tom was aware of being older, taller, and stronger than Kate, not to mention that he was male to her female. He tried to be as gentle as he could as he put her away from him, but she was clearly disturbed, and desperate, and she lunged at him, successfully grabbing at him and trying to kiss him. He got one hand up between them, holding her off, but she began slapping and pawing at him, and when her elbow connected with his temple, he saw stars, and it dazed him a bit. She was quick to take advantage, and fastened her mouth to his, and shoving one her hands down his trousers and boxers, clutching at his cock.

Tom entire body stiffened as he had a flash-back to his prison rape, and frantically he pushed at her, tears starting in his eyes, muttering, “No, no, no…” over and over again.

He had just enough rational thought left to reach into his pocket and surreptitiously dial resend for Mary while he was fighting Kate. She kept trying to violate him, and he was doing all he could to stave her off without harming her physically, while at the same time fighting the gibbering demons that had made his life hell after he had been raped in prison.

***

Mary glanced at her phone, saw that it was Tom, and answered right away. “Hey hon, what’s up? Aren’t you still at rehearsal?” Mary could hear muffled gasps and moans, and the sounds of a struggle. She heard Tom muttering the word ‘No’ over and over.

“Tom? What’s going on? Are you OK?” she called frantically into the phone. When Tom didn’t answer, she really knew something was seriously wrong. She opened up an app and pinged his phone, then got her keys and purse, and went to go find him.

She drove to the school, keeping the line open, parking once she got there, and then pinging Tom’s phone again. When she got to the auditorium, Owen and Huw were running the ”Poor Judd is Daid“ scene, and Mary waved both hands at them, saying, ”Does anyone know where Mr. Hiddleston is?”

“I think I saw him going somewhere with Kate,” one of the orchestra students offered. “I’m not sure where they went.”

“I’m pinging his phone, and I can hear him over the line. It sounds like maybe he’s in trouble. Can l get a couple of you to come with me to find him?” Mary was trying not to panic, but she could still hear sounds of a struggle coming over the line from Tom’s phone.

Just then, Gordon came back into the auditorium from back stage, having heard the entire conversation. “Owen, Huw, go with her,“ he said, motioning to them. Both boys immediately hopped off the stage and began following Mary. She kept pinging Tom’s phone, following the pings, until they finally arrived outside the prop room. The door was locked, but Mary could hear that this was where the struggle she was hearing over Tom’s phone was going on.

Tom’s breath was now coming as a keening whine, and she could hear him sobbing, and what sounded like a female voice panting and grunting. She tried the door, but it didn’t budge. “Who has a key to this room?” Mary demanded.

“Mr. Hiddleston, l guess,” Huw said. “Maybe Mr. Frazier?”

“One of you go and get him,” she said, her anxiety making her voice come out harshly. “Hurry!”

Owen turned and ran back the way they had come. Mary and Huw just stood helplessly outside the door, and finally, Mary pounded on it, yelling, ”Let us in! I know you have Tom in there. Let him go, please!”

Tom had been running on auto-pilot, trying to fend off Kate. To protect himself, his mind had partially shut down. Kate was still pawing, slapping, and groping at him, and was shaking and crying. Suddenly, the door burst open, flying all the way back and banging against the wall, and Mary rushed in, followed closely by Gordon, Owen, and Huw. Mary rushed immediately to try to put some space between Kate and Tom, and Kate’s fist connected with Mary’s jaw, and she went down.

Huw and Owen rushed to grab Kate, one on each arm, and pulled her away, while Gordon went to Mary, helping her to sit up, then turning to Tom. He was covered with cuts and scrapes, and the beginnings of quite a few bruises and contusions, and was at this point, clearly in shock.

“He’s having a recurrent episode,” Mary said quietly, looking at Gordon. “I don’t know how much he’s told you, but he was… assaulted, last year, and this has probably brought that back to him.” She pulled herself to her feet, and made her way unsteadily over to Tom. He had stopped flailing, but he still had his hands up in front of himself, as if still fighting off an assailant.

“Tom, it’s OK,” Mary said soothingly. “It’s over, and I’m here now. Shhh. It’s OK.”

For a few moments he just looked right through her, as if he couldn’t see her; then his eyes focused, and slowly, he began to come back to himself. “Mary,” he gasped. “Kate…”

“It’s OK, Tom,” Mary said gently, “We’ve got her. She can’t hurt you anymore.”

Owen and Huw were still holding Kate’s arms; she was still fighting them, but her struggles were getting weaker. Gordon was on his phone, calling for an ambulance. “Clearly, she’s very disturbed,” he was telling the emergency operator.

Tom was finally starting to calm down, his breathing had stopped hitching, and he kept his eyes focused on Mary. He gave a sob, and murmuring her name, he buried his face in her neck, holding her tightly to him.

“I’m OK, I’m OK,” he said to her reassuringly, and she wasn’t sure if he was trying to convince her, or himself, but she could tell by his voice that he was back, and she held him, kissing him gently.

“Well, we’ll have the paramedics check you out when they get here,” she said, running her hands gently through his hair, looking over all his wounds.

Gingerly, Tom put his head in his hands. “Gordon,“ he said, looking around and finding the other teacher, who was just hanging up the phone. “Tell Angharad Henry that she’s no longer the understudy. She’s going to have to go on as Ado Annie in three days!”


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Actor!Tom
> 
> Rated: M
> 
> romance/smut
> 
> Extra warns for the discussion of previous rape and assault, rough sex, mental illness
> 
> summary: This is the sequel to Fall. Tom’s been cleared, he’s out of jail, and now he just has to win the girl!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! This was supposed to be the last chapter, and instead, I wrote smut! I hope that’s OK… so it’s not over yet! Someone (you know who, dear!) actually asked me to write a sequel to this, so I guess I will at some point, about Tom finding his way back to acting, although, I find I’m loving him as a teacher! Feel free to tell me if you have any thought about that. Anyway, thanks, everybody for reading. Let me know if you like it, and, as ever, enjoy!
> 
> Extra warns for the discussion of previous rape and assault, rough sex, mental illness

Spring

Chapter 15

Mary worried about him, but Tom took it surprisingly well; he knew that it was because of the distraction of having the play: he didn’t have the time or the luxury of falling apart at that point. They’d returned to rehearsal, breaking the news to Angharad, Kate having been quietly taken away in an ambulance, her parents being called and informed. The rest of the cast and crew were inexplicably quiet about it, and he wondered just how much he and Gordon, and the other adults involved, had missed; it almost seemed as if the students knew, and had been expecting it. Tom silently apologized to Bronwen, as she was the one he’d been wary of, and Kate’s behavior had been a total revelation to him. But, at any rate, Angharad, who had seemed such a shy little thing, turned out to be more than willing to step up and put up, and Tom and Gordon looked at each other, and Gordon expressed what they both were feeling: “I don’t know why we didn’t cast her in the first place! She’s brilliant!”

Mary had stayed to watch the rest of rehearsal, not wanting to leave Tom. She knew enough to know that, even though he seemed OK right now, when he got home, and was alone, it would hit him hard, and her solution was simply to not allow him to be alone. And Tom was aware of it, and was thankful. Just having her in the auditorium, there, for him to look to, grounded him and helped him keep it together. And he glanced at her frequently, a shy smile on his lips, and love and gratitude shining from his eyes.

So, after rehearsal was finally over, she stood waiting for him to gather his things, then, taking his arm, she fell into step beside him, as they walked across the street to his flat. “Of course, I’m spending the night,” she said, and it was a flat statement, with no room for argument.

“Of course,” he murmured quietly, squeezing her hand against his side with his elbow. “Thank you for coming to find me, my love…”

“You’re welcome,” she said, leaning her head against his shoulder. “But you knew would, that’s why you called me.”

“I hoped,” he said, stopping on the sidewalk outside his building to cup her face in his hand and place a gentle kiss on her lips. “I couldn’t think what else to do. On the one hand, here was a student, that I’ve taken an oath, signed a contract, to give the best of myself, to do everything in my power to teach, to inspire, to protect. And yet, here is this person, who is doing their damnedest to take away my rights, my autonomy, to violate me in a harsh and humiliating way. And, of course, my mind flew right back to prison, and my assault – fuck it, I was RAPED. And she brought all that back …”

“I know, darling,” Mary said, taking his hand and walking towards his building. ”That’s why, tomorrow, you’re going to call Dr. Engle, and make an appointment to go see him.”

He ran a hand through his hair. “Sweetie, I just don’t see how I’m going to have time for that. The play’s in three days.”

Well, you are at least going to call him,” she said insistently, and he unlocked the door and they went in. “You call him, you tell him what happened, and how you feel about it, and then, you’ll do as he says.”

He sighed, taking her by the shoulders and looking into her eyes. “OK, you’re right,” he said, pulling her into his arms, tucking her head under his chin, and nuzzling his face against her hair. “I’ll call him first thing in the morning. I haven’t got a class until third period.”

They stood together, just holding each other for a minute or two, until finally, Mary pulled away, looking at her watch. ”Let’s get you to bed,” she said crisply, “It’s late, and we both have to work tomorrow.”

“Thank you so much for staying with me,” he said quietly. “I guess it would be a really bad idea for me to alone tonight.”

“A really, really bad idea,” Mary said. “And I’m going to take care of you, so no arguments.”

She took his hand and led him to his bedroom, unbuttoning his shirt, then helping him take it off, as if he were a small child. The weight of everything that had occurred finally hit him hard, and he silently did what she asked, looking at her solemnly, his eyes huge. She put his shirt into the hamper, then knelt to undo his belt and trousers, untying his shoes, taking them off one at a time, then pulling off his trousers, pulling the belt out of the loops and hanging it on its hook, then hanging up his trousers.

She turned back towards him, still standing in his socks and boxers, and she knelt again, pulling off his socks, then standing and also putting them in the hamper. “What would you like to sleep in tonight?” she asked him quietly. “Pajamas? Just your boxers?” She looked at him questioningly.

He made a little pouty face, giving her the puppy eyes, then bit his lip. “I need to feel your skin tonight,” he said, slipping off his boxers, and dropping them into the hamper, before crawling into the bed and pulling the covers up to his chin. “Please,” he said, still looking at her soulfully.

“OK,” she said, nodding, and beginning to undress. She folded her clothes neatly and stacked them in a chair, then joined him in the bed. She lay on her back, and he cuddled his face against her breast, one arm tight around her, one leg thrown over hers. She slipped her arm around his shoulders, holding him tight, pressing soothing little kisses into his hair and on his forehead.

“I love you, Mary,” he murmured, before sleep claimed him.

“I love you, too, Tom,” she whispered, and dropped another kiss on the top of his head.

***

It was still dark outside when Mary slowly began to wake. She’d been dreaming about Tom pleasuring her with his mouth, and as she gradually became aware, she realized that it wasn’t a dream. She reached down to find Tom’s curls, and clutched at them as he parted her folds and sucked at her clit. “Oh, god, Tom, are you sure this is OK?” she moaned.

He pulled his mouth away long enough to say, “You tell me. Is it OK? “

She turned her head from side to side as he dove back in, licking at her, two of his fingers stroking at her entrance. “I just meant, after what you’ve been through… Oh,” she gasped, as he gently thrust his fingers inside her and found her g-spot. 

“I find this is helping me forget,” he said, raising his head up again and peering at her from under the covers, his face indistinct in the dark. “Now stop interrupting my therapy!”

He continued finger-fucking her, hitting her spot each time, tapping her clit with his tongue, and when he pursed his lips around it and sucked, she came hard, hands clutching his hair, holding his face against her and moaning out his name.

He knew just how to prolong her pleasure, and he continued gently licking and pressing, until he was sure she was satisfied, then he moved back up and cuddled against her again, exactly the way he had when they’d first gone to sleep, except that now, his cock was hard and twitching against her thigh.

She cupped his cheek with her hand, tipping up his face and kissing him on the mouth, before asking, “But what about you, baby?”

“It will go away,” he mumbled, tucking his head back under her chin.

“But darling,” she began, pulling his face back up again, trying to see his expression in the dark.

He had a disgusted look, his mouth twisted. “I’m angry,” he confessed quietly. “I … uh, I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You need it rough,” she said, sudden understanding dawning. “Is that what you’re trying to say?”

He nodded, not able to meet her eyes. “I’m not proud of it,” he said so quietly that she had to strain to hear it. “I just feel like I need to punish someone. But it shouldn’t be you!”

“Well,” Mary said harshly, putting her hands on his chest and shoving him away from her, “since I don’t want you fucking anyone else, it’s going to have to be me!”

He went absolutely still, and she could feel his eyes on her through the dimness. “Are. You. Sure?” he said flatly, with absolutely no tone to his voice, each word separate and distinct.

Mary only hesitated for a moment, before simply saying, “Yes.”

Tom was on her instantly, clutching her by the shoulders and lifting her up. “Turn over, on your hands and knees,” he bit out, and she hurried to comply.

This was a different Tom, a scary Tom, but Mary knew it was only a reaction to what he’d been through, and she wasn’t frightened. She loved him enough to understood why he needed this, so she didn’t have any reservations whatsoever about being there for him this way.

She felt him lightly tap the inside of her thigh, as he bit out, ”Wider, I want you spread wider.”

And she bit her lip and pulled her thighs further apart. She gasped when he let out a growl and hilted himself into her wetness and began to thrust; hard, fast, grunting with each stroke, and she could hear his teeth clenching and grinding as he rammed himself home into her over and over. His fingers on her hips were digging in like claws, and she knew that she would have bruises in the morning. He rutted against her, their bodies slapping together, as his pace got more and more frantic, until finally, with a hoarse shout, he grabbed her around the waist, pulling her off the bed and roughly clutching her to him, while he emptied himself inside her, his face pressed against her back.

He collapsed to the bed, rolling so that he wouldn’t land on top of her, curling up into a ball on his side and sobbing uncontrollably. “Oh god, oh god, what have I done?” he moaned, his forearms over his face while his hands clutched at his hair. “Oh, Mary, I’m so sorry” he said brokenly.

“Shh, shh, Tom, it’s OK,” she said soothingly, stroking her hands across his face, over his shoulders, down his back. She hugged him as best she could while he was huddled in on himself, and slowly, he unbent enough to let her take him into her arms.

His arms snaked out and closed around her convulsively, and she stroked his hair back from his forehead, kissing him gently. “I love you, Tom,” she murmured reassuringly. “You didn’t hurt me; I was ready for it.” She kissed his forehead. “Dr. Hanawalt told me back in prison, after your… uh, rape… that you might react this way, but you never did, then. But tonight, when you went all stiff after you… uh, after I…”

“After I got you off?” he said, raising up on his elbow, daring to smirk down at her a little.

“Yes” she said, embarrassed. “After you ‘got me off,’ then made no move to satisfy yourself, I remembered what Dr. Hanawalt had told me.”

“He told me, too, so I knew what it was. It was still unexpected. I didn’t want to do that to you, but… I love you,” he said softly, cuddling against her once again. “Are you sure you’re OK? Do you need…?”

Suddenly, she realized that he had eased his hips away from her, and she was surprised to feel that he was hard again, and trying not to let her know. She smiled to herself in the dark. “You know, I don’t think I’d like it that rough all the time,” she said sensually, ”but you didn’t hurt me, and actually, it made me kind of hot.” She took one of his hands and brought it to her dripping core, and he sucked in a breath when he felt how wet she was. She reached out her other hand and stroked his erection a couple of times, and said, “So if you think you’d like to try to get me off again, I think I’d be OK with that.”

“I fucking love you, Mary,” he growled, and that was the last thing either of them said, until crying out each other’s names as they came together.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Actor!Tom
> 
> Rated: M
> 
> romance/smut

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is the end… For the first time, I’m really sorry it’s done. But, sarabeth72 asked me to do a sequel, so I think I will! But, gonna be a little; got other stories calling… Thanks for reading! Let me know if you enjoy it! And, as always, enjoy!
> 
> Extra warns for the discussion of previous rape and assault, mental illness

Spring

Chapter 16

The next day, Tom reported to the principal’s office first thing in the morning. Kate had been taken to a mental health facility and would not be coming back to school. Tom wanted to touch bases about his own issues, and to let the principal know that the play was set to go on as scheduled. Dress rehearsal was that night, and Tom was sure everything would go off without a hitch.

After his conference with the principal, Tom made his way to the drama room, going inside and locking the door behind him. Pulling out his phone, he called his psychiatrist, Dr. Engle. Miraculously, the doctor was in and not with a patient. Briefly, Tom told him everything that had happened the night before.

Dr. Engle listened to everything Tom had to say. “I can’t say I’m not worried about you, Tom,” he said, but you do sound remarkably put together, considering what you’ve told me has happened.”

“I’m OK, Dr. Engle,” Tom said quietly. “Well, I’m not OK, not really, but I have the play this weekend, and I need it. It would do me more harm to miss it, at this point,” Tom insisted.

“From everything you’re told me, Tom, I’m going to agree with you,” Dr. Engle said. “However, I do want to see you next week, the earlier in the week, the better. As soon as you no longer have the play to drive you, I expect you’ll experience a crash. It could be immediately after the last performance, or as much as two or three days later, but whenever it occurs, I’m concerned that we deal with it swiftly.”

“I understand, doctor,” Tom said calmly. “I’ll try to make my appointment for Monday, after school.”

“Very good, Tom,” Dr. Engle said encouragingly. “Now, you have all my contact numbers, correct?”

“Yes, I think so,” Tom said, checking the contact information on his phone. “Pager, home, cell… I think I’m set.”

“Good,” Dr. Engle said. “If you need me for any reason, you make certain you call me, anytime, day or night. You can contact me about anything, Tom. And I mean that: day or night.”

“I appreciate it, Dr. Engle,” Tom said gratefully. ”I’m sure I’ll be all right until I can get in to see you on Monday. But if I’m not, I’ll call you.”

“Very good, then, Tom,” Dr. Engle said. “Oh, and Tom, you and your students: break a leg!”

Tom chuckled. ”Thanks, doc!” he said, and hung up.

***

The dress rehearsal had gone off without a hitch. Owen, Bronwen, and Huw were so well prepared that neither Tom nor Gordon was worried about the three of them, and Angharad had seemingly only needed someone to give her permission to come out of her shell, and had begun to truly shine. Tom, Gordon, and Ceri met after all the students were gone, talking about a few last-minute details and congratulating each other on the caliber of the production. Of course, this was Tom’s first, but Gordon and Ceri assured him that they both felt it would go down in the annals as the finest show the school had ever put on.

“And then, you’ll be moving on,” Ceri said sadly. “Oh, Tom, I don’t want you to go! You’re the best drama teacher we’ve ever had at this school!”

“She’s right, you know,” Gordon said quietly. “Old Chambers is tired. She never was half the teacher you are, and even if she comes back perfectly healthy, she never will be half the teacher you are.”

Tom ran his hand through his hair. “You two flatter me,” he said, obviously embarrassed. “My contract was only through June, you know. Mrs. Chambers will come back, and then, believe it or not, I have a movie to make!”

“What’s your next project, Tom?” Ceri asked excitedly. “Are you allowed to tell us?”

“Well, I’ve told my agent I could be ready towards the end of summer, if he can find me something,” Tom said excitedly. “But the bottom line is, Thor 3 starts filming towards the end of October!”

“Oh my goodness, how exciting is that!” Ceri burst out.

Gordon just looked disappointed. “I suppose that is exciting,“ he said resignedly. “So there’s no chance of you wanting to stay on here should old Chambers choose to retire.”

“No, not yet. Not at this time in my life,” Tom said regretfully, and sighed. “Maybe eventually. But, you said it yourself: l have too many roles inside me that need to come out. Do you remember saying that to me?”

“Yes, Tom, I do,” Gordon said ruefully. “Of course, I’m kicking myself now for saying it, but it’s still true.”

“Hey, thanks, man,” Tom said, and the two men shook hands, and hugged Ceri, before locking up for the night and going home.

***

Friday. Opening night. Tom got up that morning and dressed with care. If he had to, he could come home, as he lived just across the street, but he planned to stay at school all day, and not go home until after the last certain call and everything had been stowed. Mary was coming to the performance tonight, and Luke and his boyfriend, and Tom was nervous, and excited, and glad to be alive.

He knotted his tie, and ran his fingers through his hair, floofing in a little product. Packing up some lunch, gathering up his briefcase, he locked his door and almost jogged across the street to school. Once there, he stopped by the staff room to put his lunch in the fridge, and found Ceri sitting at the round table, idly leafing through the pages of a bridal magazine.

“Oh, Ceri,” he said eagerly, noticing what she was looking at, “have you and Edwin set a date?” He plopped down in the chair across from her, putting his elbow on the table and resting his chin in his hand.

Ceri looked up, brown her eyes snapping. “Yes, actually, we have,” she said grinning, but then her face fell. “July 9th. I don’t suppose you’ll be able to be there. I was actually hoping you might walk me down the aisle; I don’t have any male family, and you’re pretty much my best friend…”

Tom reached out and took her hand, squeezing it gently in his. “I will put it on my calendar, and I will make sure that I am there,” he said quietly. “Just because I won’t be teaching here anymore, it doesn’t it mean that I will forget all the friends I’ve made here!” He paused, scraping his top teeth across his bottom lip. “And besides, Mary lives here! She has a career that I would never ask her to give up, so I will be around here a lot! I’m also toying with the idea of asking Principal Jones to think about me as a sort of permanent guest lecturer. Because, the fact is, I have loved teaching. A lot more than I ever thought I would.”

He looked at his watch and rose to his feet. “I still have some monologues to critique before third period. Will I see you at lunch?”

“Yes,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Edwin is coming to the show tonight. I think he intends to sit with Mary.”

“Good!” Tom said, turning and making his way to the door. Just before he left, he called back over his shoulder, ”He can meet my publicist Luke, and his boyfriend. They are also sitting with Mary.”

“He’s such a fan of yours, I’m sure he’ll love that!” Ceri said, sighing. ”See you at lunch, Tom.”

“Yes! See you!” And with that, he was off.

***

Somehow he made it through the school day, and then he was off to the auditorium to make sure everything was in place. He and Gordon had sprung for pizza, and at 5:15, the delivery guy showed up with a crazy amount of pizza boxes. The cast and crew were all so surprised, because this had never been done in the past, but both Tom and Gordon thought it was only fair. The students had worked hard on this production, and they deserved to be able to have a treat, and they all needed to eat, after all.

As 6:00 rolled around, the orchestra was still polishing the overture and the dream dance sequence; the dancers were taking advantage of that, up on the stage. Owen and Bronwen were working a scene on the floor off to the side, Hywel was being his usual, helpful self (Tom thought with sarcasm), helping Angharad with some lines.

Huw was scurrying around, doing whatever he thought would be most helpful, and “Bless you for that!” Tom said to him, as he rushed by, some random props in his hands, all the while singing ”Poor Judd Is Daid,” under his breath in his exquisite deep baritone.

Tom stood, hands on hips, surveying the activity going on around him. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, filling his nose and lungs with the familiar and beloved scents of theater air. How he was going to miss this! The other teachers, the classes, but most of all, the students! He knew that he had gotten way more out of this, than he had put in, and he was elated, humbled, and grateful.

“Mr. Hiddleston, can you help us a minute?” It was one of the tech crew, and Tom hurried to be of assistance…

The house was set to open at 7:00, with the performance beginning at 7:30, and as people began taking their seats, Tom was thrilled to see that it was going to be a packed house. Gordon had told him not to be disappointed at the poor turnout; he’d said the most they’d ever had was about half the auditorium filled. So, as Tom looked out on the crowd filtering in, from his vantage point in the wings, just off stage right, he couldn’t help smirking a little when Gordon joined him, clapping him on the back before giving him a sideways shoulder hug and saying, “Look at that crowd!”

“I am!” Tom said proudly. “Oh, here comes my girl with Ceri’s fellow.”

Gordon looked where he was pointing and let out a whistle. “Ooh, she’s a looker!” he said, “but then I’d expect that, a handsome guy like you. You’d need someone decorative!”

Tom glanced at him sharply, chuckling a little. ”Don’t let her hear you say that!” he warned. “She’s an attorney, she’d probably sue you, or something!”

“All that beauty, and brains, too,” Gordon murmured. “Way to go, Tom. And Ceri’s fellow?”

“Edwin,” Tom said fondly. “He’s a dentist. He’s Mary’s next door neighbor. It’s how they met.”

“I’m glad for Ceri,” Gordon said softly.

“Me too,” said Tom. “Edwin’s a good bloke.”

They continued watching the auditorium fill up for a few more minutes. Tom saw Luke come in with his boyfriend, and Mary waving at them, and a wistful half-grin graced his lips. He turned to Gordon. “You ready?” he asked cheekily.

“I am as ready as I’m ever gonna be!” Gordon replied.

“Then let’s go put on a play!” Tom said, and they were off.

***

From the opening notes of the overture, to the wonderful voices of the singers, to the angsty drama, the lusty innuendos, the joyous romance; the play was a huge success. The audience was on their feet, a fully 10-minute standing ovation, and Owen and Bronwen were walking on air, although Tom was pretty sure that the most excited cast member was Angharad, who had taken her golden opportunity and run with it. Huw was surrounded by people who had had no idea that he could sing that way, and his face was wreathed in huge, bemused smiles at the attention. Tom saw Dream Dancer Laurie (Tom couldn’t remember the girl’s name) approach him shyly. Tom had noticed her watching the lad before, and tonight she got up the courage to approach him, and Tom saw him give her a goofy smile as they walked off together.

As things wound down, he found Mary patiently waiting out front, and he rushed to her and took her in his arms, kissing her chastely because they were still at school, after all.

“Tom, it was amazing!” she said happily. ”It was brilliant! It almost seems too good to be a high school production.”

“Oh, bless you for saying that!” Tom said, kissing her again. “I have so loved teaching here. I’m really going to miss it.”

“But, it will be nice to get back to your real life,“ she pointed out.

Tom looked at her, his heart in his eyes. “Mary, you are my real life, and I love you. Thank you so much, for helping me spring back to where I belong.”

“I love you too, Tom”, Mary said lovingly. “Thank you for looking for me, thank you for finding me, and thank you for coming for me.”

And, arm in arm, they left the school together and walked out into the night.


End file.
